Precious Time

February…the month for lovers. The month when we gift our partners with candy, flowers, and gifts to show our appreciation for their love and devotion.

But what are we doing the rest of the year to make our loved ones feel loved? Do we just limit our appreciation to one day per year?

What some fail to realize is that our time is the most valuable gift we can give someone.

 Money, and earthly treasures can all be replaced. If I lost a $100 bill today, I could make another hundred dollars tomorrow. Why we feel money is such a precious gift, I’ll never know. Because unlike money, time you can never get back.

Therefore, we allow ourselves to feel “hurt” when someone we love, acts like we sometimes don’t even exist.  Now, I’m not just talking romantic relationships. I’m talking friendships or parent/child relationships too.

The number one complaint that couples have is that one person feels they give more of their time than the other. One person feels ignored, or neglected.

They feel “unloved” because they feel they aren’t getting the right amount of attention. That there’s no effort shown when it comes to one-on-one interactions, or facetime.

You can give a person every materialistic thing they would ever want, and they would still feel unloved if they aren’t sharing any time with you. FACT.

I have always thought that if a person wants to spend time with you, they will. They will “make” time for you.

It’s true that we all make “time” for the things that we love to do. We make time for fishing, bowling, working out, hunting, music, golf, etc. But, when it comes to the affairs of the heart, we sometimes find ourselves “too busy”, or at least we tell ourselves that, to fit in any more time for the one’s we love.

We may fell exhausted from our daily routines, trying to fit everything in our day.

Some have an ego, that allows them to believe that if another person genuinely loves them, they will understand. That they shouldn’t “nag” or push the subject. That just being in “love” with them, should be enough in the relationship. Ummm…Copout. Narcissistic move.

Number one, nobody should “guess” how you feel about them. You should communicate how you feel. If you feel overwhelmed by your daytime schedule, then express it.

Then you work on it together. No one person is more important than the other. One person’s time is not more precious than another’s. That right there is the wrong mindset to have. Everyone’s time is precious. Everyone’s life is precious.

We need to ask ourselves “what makes me happy”? What things do you do during the day, that bring you joy? So much, that you cannot wait to do them again.

If spending time with the person you “love” isn’t on the list of things you enjoy, then maybe you need to address that subject.

Find out why. Do they cause you stress? Do they make you feel bad about yourself? Do they leave you feeling exhausted after visiting with them? And if so, you might need to re-evaluate the relationship itself.

Are you wasting your time, on someone that doesn’t bring you joy anymore? Time you cannot get back.

Maybe you need to start planning some fun things together. Do a little day trip. Maybe you just need to laugh more when you’re together. The other person could be feeling “stressed” too.

Invite them along when you go out to do something you love doing. Share your passion with them. After all, it is part of who you are.  Allow yourself to do the same for them. Let them include you in something they enjoy doing. It’s a 50/50 partnership. Or at least it should be.

If they witness you giving your time to everybody else but them, then they have every right to assume there is a problem. Because there is. Don’t try to pin the blame on them. Don’t shame them for wanting to spend more time with you. You are in control of your actions. Nobody “makes” you do anything. Own up to your mistakes. Be an adult. Quit blaming others, or making excuses. Be honest.

We all have goals in life that we want to accomplish one day before we die. And yes, we all will die. Time waits for no one. So, when you plan out your daily “to dos”, make sure you allot time for that someone who waits for you every day.  Because the gift of your time will not go unnoticed. Sharing your precious time with someone is the greatest gift of all. And that is what they will remember more than all the other gifts.