TIME

Every year between Christmas and New Year’s Day, my granddaughter, Lauren, and her friend come to the ranch to spend a wonderful week of quality time together with “GiGi” (that’s me). I love this time we have together. They are horse lovers (as am I), so we feed, groom, ride, and care for our horses throughout the week.

In addition to our “horse time”, we play games (our favorite is Horseopoly!!!), do creative dancing, take walks through nature, and bake homemade bread. John’s mother is 93 and makes the world’s best bread. So, she comes up and gives us a lesson. She tells us what to do and we do it.

I plan this week so that I do not have work that must be done. I am completely available during this precious time that I have with these beautiful young “girls” who will so quickly be young women. (Chances are that one day soon, there will be other “things” that interest them more than horses and GiGi!!)

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TIME: I have always felt that one of the greatest gifts I received from my parents was the time they spent with us kids. They were “present”. They came to our special events: athletic, scholastic, dance, piano—whatever. And, as a parent and grandparent, I want to do the same thing. Don’t you?

Lives are busy in today’s world. But, ask yourself, “in the span of a lifetime, which will be more meaningful—more important”. That’s my benchmark question when I make choices about how I invest my time.

Pause. Put down your phone. Is that Facebook post really more important than listening to your child, reading to or with him/her, playing a game together. Turn off the TV and be with each other doing something: Legos, Transformers, baking cookies, reading, shooting a few hoops, or throwing passes—whatever you choose.

The real point is not TIME. The real point is focused attention. It’s really not how much time you spend but the quality of the time. Look into the eyes of another and focus. Your connection will deepen when they realize that you are “present” and “interested”. More than likely that most recent Instagram post will still be there in a few minutes. Wait on that. Time with those you love will not wait.