This morning’s post is more personal in nature than professional, but I just have to share. There are no photos to view in this one. It’s just about life…about cherishing those who are closest to you. So, yes…it’s a bit on the sappy side…so if you’re not up for some emotional impact this morning, you don’t have to read.
In the past year, I’ve had some things occur in my life that have caused me to change…nothing that anyone might call life altering, but for me these occurrences have awakend me and helped me to realize what is most important in my life…giving me a new perspective. Along with this realization, I have made it a priority to take more time to spend with my own family and friends. This past year I took a week or two off, on a few occasions and just spent time with those who are closest to me.
If anyone knows me at all, you’ll know that my business means the world to me! I left a very stable, good-paying career several years ago to follow my dreams of becoming a self-employed photographer, to share my view and create images as memories for others. Some say that I made a great choice…others perhaps feel it was the biggest mistake of my life…it doesn’t matter, I wouldn’t have it any other way because I love my job. I don’t regret it for a moment. I’m not going to lie…it’s been a very difficult road. There has been a lot of sweat, tears, joy, stress, sorrow, energy, worry, emotion, guilt, love and time put into growing my business. I put the word “time” last for a reason…because the time that I have put into Jakal Photography, is the cause for a lot of the other things that have been put into it. Time…time away from my family…time I didn’t have for my friends…time that I can’t get back to visit with those whom I’ve lost or with those who will someday no longer be with me. The time spent to create my dream is the same time that has caused me to feel all of those other things. Time is really one of the most valuable things in my life.
Was it worth it…yes…and no…and sometimes I don’t know. I love that I am living my dream…creating memories for others to share forever…leaving an imprint on the world. But, I also love that I have finally realized that it all comes at a cost and that sometimes I have to step away, to make memories of my own with those I love. I think that my work-life balance has improved over the last year or so, and I hope someday to have it perfected…though I don’t know if that’s a goal that’s even possible to achieve…I will still try.
Over the past two weeks, I have taken some time off to spend with my family over the holidays and I enjoyed every moment of it. But…to keep life in perspective, during this same time I also had two friends who had to say goodbye to a parent far too soon in life…one on Christmas Day and one just after the New Year. You just never know how long you have with someone, so you really have to cherish the moments you do have. Then this morning I received the below email from a friend and it just hit me right in the heart…and the tears began to flow. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. I have seen the email before, but reading it this time around…well, it just seems to mean so much more to me.
For today and tomorrow…cherish those you love, Darlene
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Too Busy for a Friend…..
One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name. Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down. It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers.
That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual. On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the know others liked me so much,’ were most of the comments.
No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn’t matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another. That group of students moved on.
Several years later, one of the students was killed in Vietnam and his teacher attended the funeral of that special student. She had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. He looked so handsome, so mature. The church was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last one to bless the coffin. As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to her. ‘Were you Mark’s math teacher?’ he asked. She nodded: ‘yes.’ Then he said: ‘Mark talked about you a lot.’
After the funeral, most of Mark’s former classmates went together to a luncheon. Mark’s Mother and Father were there, obviously waiting to speak with his teacher. “We want to show you something.”, his father said. Taking a wallet out of his pocket, “They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it.” Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Mark’s classmates had said about him. “Thank you so much for doing that.”, Mark’s mother said. “As you can see, Mark treasured it.”. All of Mark’s former classmates started to gather around. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, ‘I still have my list. It’s in the top drawer of my desk at home.’ Chuck’s wife said, ‘Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album.’ ‘I have mine too,’ Marilyn said. ‘It’s in my diary.’ Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. ‘I carry this with me at all times,’ Vicki said and without batting an eyelash, she continued: ‘I think we all saved our lists’ That’s when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again.
The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will end one day. And we don’t know when that one day will be. So please, tell the people you love and care for, that they are special and important. Tell them, before it is too late.
