Beyond Words

“Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend,” Theophrastus

That was the daily quote I received in an email yesterday.  I receive the quotes every day, but this one resonated with me in a big way.

It’s the Christmas season, which means buying presents for loved ones, donating to worthy causes, and helping those in need.  In other words, spending money.  But, what if we spent more time than money with those we love?  What a wonderful and powerful present our presence can make in someone’s life.

Time is what we seem to have less and less of, especially this time of year.  But isn’t time what we would all love more of, especially quality time spent with friends and family?  I don’t know about you, but dinners with my family and stress-free walks with them would make me much happier than another piece of jewelry or a gift certificate to somewhere I don’t need.

Instead of buying someone everything on their list, how about considering these Christmas gift suggestions:

To your enemy, give forgiveness

To an opponent, tolerance

To a friend, your heart

To a customer, friendly service

To a child, a good example

To your family, real love

To all, charity

To yourself, respect

These “gifts” won’t cost a thing but are worth more than anything money can buy.