The Gift of Time
During last Sunday’s season finale of “The White Lotus,” 40-something character Laurie Duffy—who is vacationing with two long-time friends yet has often felt like a third wheel on their trip—delivers a beautiful monologue about the one thing she’s come to realize gives her life meaning:
TIME.
Not work. Not love. Not religion.
TIME.
You see, Laurie has spent much of their luxurious resort vacation feeling less than.
One of her friends is a beautiful and successful actress. The other is a happy and fulfilled wife and mother.
Yet, she sees herself as none of those things—which leaves her feeling sad and lost and alone.
Until the last night of their trip when Laurie reveals the epiphany she’s had about herself—and her relationship with them.
That no matter how different they are—or how divergent their paths have been—it is the time they’ve spent together that has given her life meaning.
We often talk about the gifts that come with aging: Wisdom. Knowledge. Experience. Perspective.
But perhaps the gift we talk about the least is the one that’s the most obvious: TIME.
Time with friends. Time with family. Time to participate in activities we enjoy.
Time to learn new things. Time to share our knowledge and skills with others.
Time to pursue new dreams and adventures. Time just to sit and be.
So many people seem to view aging—and, older age in particular—through a lens of scarcity. Their focus is on what they’re losing.
In reality, however, they’re failing to see that they’re actually gaining something so much more valuable in the process:
TIME.
Because isn’t that the one thing most of us want more of in today’s harried and chaotic world?
There’s a toast traditionally shared at weddings (and other special occasions) celebrated by Hispanic families:
“Salud, Amor, Dinero—y Tiempo para gozarlos.”
It translates to, “Health, Love, and Money—and TIME to enjoy them all.”
As we age, it is not uncommon for us to worry about our health, our loved ones, and our finances.
But, I wonder:
What’s the use of being blessed with any or all of them—unless we have the TIME to enjoy them?
TIME.
It’s perhaps our most precious natural resource.
Because it’s the only thing that can add years to our lives. And life to our years.