The Important Things In Life.....
A philosophy professor stood before his class with some
items on the table in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly he picked
up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks,
about 2 inches in diameter.
He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed
that it was.
So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured
them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled
into the open areas between the rocks.
He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They
agreed it was.
The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the
jar. Of course, the sand filled up the remaining open areas of the jar.
He then asked once more if the jar was full. The students
responded with a unanimous “Yes.”
“Now,” said the professor, “I want you to recognize that this
jar represents your life. The rocks are the important things – your family,
your partner, your health, your children – things that if everything else was
lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the
other things that matter – like your job, your house, your car. The sand is
everything else, the small stuff.”
“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued,
“there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If
you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room
for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are
critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take your partner out
dancing. There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a
dinner party, or fix the disposal.”
“Take care of the rocks first – the things that really
matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”
.........................................................................................Anonymous....................................................
Give Time to Our Family.....
After 21 years of
marriage, my wife wanted me to take another woman out to dinner and a movie.
She said, “I love you, but I know this other woman loves you and would love to
spend some time with you.”
The other woman that my
wife wanted me to visit was my MOTHER, who has been a widow for 19 years, but
the demands of my work and my three children had made it possible to visit her
only occasionally. That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a
movie. “What’s wrong, are you well?” she asked.
My mother is the type of
woman who suspects that a late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of
bad news. “I thought that it would be pleasant to spend some time with you,” I
responded. “Just the two of us.” She thought about it for a moment, and then
said, “I would like that very much.”
That Friday after work,
as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her
house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited
in the door with her coat on. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress
that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary. She smiled from a
face that was as radiant as an angel’s. “I told my friends that I was going to
go out with my son, and they were impressed, “she said, as she got into the
car. “They can’t wait to hear about our meeting.”
We went to a restaurant
that, although not elegant, was very nice and cozy. My mother took my arm as if
she were the First Lady. After we sat down, I had to read the menu. Her eyes
could only read large print. Half way through the entries, I lifted my eyes and
saw Mom sitting there staring at me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips. “It was
I who used to have to read the menu when you were small,” she said. “Then it’s
time that you relax and let me return the favor,” I responded. During the
dinner, we had an agreeable conversation – nothing extraordinary but catching
up on recent events of each other’s life. We talked so much that we missed the
movie. As we arrived at her house later, she said, “I’ll go out with you again,
but only if you let me invite you.” I agreed.
“How was your dinner
date?” asked my wife when I got home. “Very nice. Much more so than I could
have imagined,” I answered.
A few days later, my
mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn’t
have a chance to do anything for her. Some time later, I received an envelope
with a copy of a restaurant receipt from the same place mother and I had dined.
An attached note said: “I paid this bill in advance. I wasn’t sure that I could
be there; but nevertheless, I paid for two plates – one for you and the other
for your wife. You will never know what that night meant for me. I love you,
son.”
At that moment, I
understood the importance of saying in time: “I LOVE YOU” and to give our loved
ones the time that they deserve. Nothing in life is more important than your
family. Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off
till “some other time.”