You’ve seen the ad, “Some things are priceless; for everything else, there’s Mastercard.” How true. In fact, the most important things are priceless, with time probably being the most valued for many Americans.
I’m writing this on Father’s Day and remembering how important it is for Dad to spend time with his family. It’s the most important thing he can do.
Parents should know that the most cherished gift for our children is the gift of our time. The same holds true for the elderly. My grandmother, who died at 102, had reached the point where the only thing she wanted was to spend time with her loved ones. I heard someone say that children, perhaps because they are recent arrivals from heaven, instinctively know that time is more precious than money or stuff. Likewise for the elderly, since they will be returning to heaven soon.
I remember when my daughter was very young. Her dad had been working consistently without any time off. We had seen very little of him for months. He took a day off. We packed a picnic, loaded her in the car, with our small baby at the time, and headed to the park. We threw in her bicycle and all the balls, bats and gloves we could find. Nothing fancy, just simple pitching and hitting the ball, kicking a football, frisbee throwing, playing on swings and slides, and eating PB&J sandwiches under the canopy.
That night, my daughter took her bath and, with teary eyes, climbed onto Dad’s lap and said, “Daddy, this was the best day of my whole life.” His eyes were not dry either. From that time on, he realized the most important thing was spending time with family. He never worked like that ever again. He made a schedule that his company could live with and made time for the important things.
If there was anything good from the Coronavirus shutdown, it was that many families spent a lot of time together. I know that some of those families were under tremendous stress, and being with family was all we had during that time. That is the only bright light I can see in that very dark time.
Inflation is out of control, and many families cannot keep up. Wages have not matched inflation. It’s heartbreaking as I hear from so many who are suffering and looking for help. I saw a poll indicating that a third of all Americans are suffering from anxiety or depression. These difficult times have taken a tremendous toll on our citizens.
I know my words of time with family are not very consoling if you’re one of those families suffering from these problems or if you are one of those business owners who put everything on the line to start your business and are now watching it dry up due to inflation costs and wondering how long you can hold on.
I am so sorry for those of you in those situations. I pray it ends soon and you can get back to your work and to your life. In the meantime, I hope you are spending time with those you love while you can. In the end, that’s what really matters.
Most of us know the feeling of not having enough hours in the day to get it all done. Still, we work longer and harder to satisfy our desires, usually sacrificing priceless things. Remember, happiness is not the fulfillment of what you want but the enjoyment of what you have.
Remember that we serve an awesome God, and He is in control. This, too, shall pass.
Sen. Joyce Krawiec has represented Forsyth County and the 31st District in the North Carolina Senate since 2014. She lives in Kernersville.
