Time

Everyone has the same amount of time. No one can buy more or spend less. How one uses time says a lot about the person using it. Does one visit with friends, conversing and sharing? Does one write, read, reflect and while enjoying these activities, listen to music or the quiet? Does one create a physical object, or supervise another person? How do your minutes and hours slip away? What do you do as the seconds quietly tick by?

At this time, Ira Glass' THIS AMERICAN LIFE is on the National Public Radio Station. Michael is in his office, encoding the video from last night's productions at River Ridge High School, as the television drones in the background. My fingers type these words, as my mind filters what I write and what I hear on the radio. Multi-tasking is not always efficient. My typing or my listening is not completely involved. So I now choose to stop what I am doing so I can simply relax, listen, and reflect on the words of the stories on this evening's THIS AMERICAN LIFE.

Gratitude

Such a simple act - to say "Thank you!" To pick up a phone, and say it and remind the person you are calling WHY you appreciate him/her. To open a mail account online and write a quick note of appreciation. To write a thank you note, place it in an envelope, put a stamp on it, and address it. And what if the person is in your own home? Is a thank you enough? Or is there more one can do to show appreciation? Like doing the dishes after he creates a fantastic meal, or doing the laundry when the clothes hamper is full simply because time is available and it's a nice thing to do.

So simple to show appreciation, and so many ways to show it, but how many people do it? I just finished writing eight notes of appreciation to family and friends. I thanked each one of them once again for the memories we created during the holidays. Enclosed in each note is one picture, or as many as six pictures, to refresh the recipient's memory of our time together. Yes, the pictures are online at Shutterfly or Facebook or they were sent via email. Still, there is something about holding a picture, looking at it for as long or as little as one wants, and putting it in a scrapbook or frame to keep forever or a day.

Appreciation. Gratitude. So simple, yet it takes time. But if someone does something special, and if that person took the time to do something special, shouldn't we take the time to show our gratitude? Shouldn't we say thank you? Shouldn't we show how much we care?