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Diamond minutes
By Christina Quick | January 1, 2008
When I was growing up my mother kept a big book on our coffee table that was a collection of poetry, essays and pithy sayings. On lazy afternoons when there was nothing else to do, I sometimes opened the volume and perused the likes of Thoreau, Longfellow and Whitman.
Over the years I read and reread this excerpt from the writings of Horace Mann, a nineteenth century education reformer: “Lost, yesterday, somewhere between sunrise and sunset, two golden hours, each set with sixty diamond minutes. No reward is offered for they are gone forever.”
As a child, the meaning of that sentiment was mostly lost on me. Like a wealthy heir who hasn’t learned the value of abundant resources, time seemed limitless. To be 10 today was to be 10 forever.
Now that I’m grown, my outlook has changed. Life moves at warp speed. There are plans to make and things to accomplish, items to check off my swelling to-do list. The days of the year, with all their events and activities, bump against one another and fall away like a line of toppling dominoes.
In the middle of it all is my family. My son, who is 10 until next March, believes spring is so far away he will have to be 10 forever. But I know better. The dimpled baby pictures on the shelf are constant reminders of how my children are growing and changing.
Horace Mann had it right. This fleeting time is far too valuable to waste. That’s why, when the day is nearly spent and my evening plans are interrupted by a voice asking, “Mom, wanna jump on the trampoline?” I’m likely to head outside for a good bounce against the backdrop of the setting sun. I can’t bear the thought of those diamond minutes slipping from my grasp.
How do you balance life and family obligations? How do you find time for what’s most important?
Topics: Parenting |
January 3rd, 2008 at 10:29 pm
Wow! What an excellent reminder that precious “diamond moments” pass so quickly! Frankly, I struggle with balancing family obligations and “fun” with my two sons. Prayer, however, really helps steady me and order my priorities. Without the Lord’s help and direction I know that I would go off on unimportant tangents. I still enjoy reading to my sons and listening to audiobooks in the car. It gives us a shared experience and something in common to discuss. Also, the boys and I take a wall climbing class at the YMCA together. Again, it’s a shared experience. My oldest son is a teen-I’m grateful for all the shared experiences I can muster!