The Gift Of Three Weeks

It has been an incredible few months in the history of the world. Many of us will remember the first quarter of 2020 for different reasons.

In the lead-up to this new decade, there was a lot of buzz and excitement. It was meant to be a unique year and decade. Many people were eager to lend their voices to the significance of the double-double digits.

Looking back on the first four months, I’m sure we all have our experiences of its significance. Many of us will remember when ………

Who would have thought that the sports leagues would be cancelled, Golf and tennis tournaments, Grand Prix would be postponed or easily forgotten. Children would see a gift of extended holidays while parents tear their hairs out wondering about the gift that wouldn’t stop giving.

Companies that never considered working from home had no choice and people who once argued it wouldn’t work for their industries and nations had no choice but to find a way to make it work.

Marriage and birthday celebrations had to be done on a low key if at all. One can only imagine how many planned events had to be aborted, postponed or brought forward.

Extroverts are wondering what’s going on while the introverts are breathing sighs of reliefs.

Over the past few months, the one thing we can’t get away from is the number of deaths that we’ve had to deal with.

There are those that died from the Corona virus, others died from other illnesses and natural ageing process. Many deaths have been premature and many have been completely unexpected.

As I’ve thought about the people who have passed on in the past four months especially those that I knew personally, I keep thinking, ‘what if?’ I imagine their last few weeks and wonder.

What if they knew they only had three weeks to live? If by a stroke of genius or blessing of communication, they knew they only had three weeks, would they see the time as a gift?

What would they do differently, think differently and how would they act? What decisions would they make and what fears would they finally face? What journeys would they make or defer?

Would they still care about what people think of them and how they are perceived by friends, families and the wider society?

Would they wonder about the afterlife and how would they prepare for it? Or would they coast along thinking this is all the life there is?

Would they finally try to answer some of those big life questions? Perhaps there would be a book they would have tried to read or finish.

For some, it could be that they would have done everything in their power to resolve a longstanding rift in the family, finally put their affairs in order or reconnect with old friends.

I ran into an elderly lady a few months back and we got talking about her fine bone China tea set. She said it was fit for the queen but she had never used them.

She was waiting for a worthy occasion to get them out. They had been in her house for about sixty years.

I looked at her and she was in her late eighties and all I could think about was how little time she had left and how the chances of a worthy occasion were even slimmer.

I told her to get out her tea set and start using them. I reminded her that she was worth celebrating and it was time to stop waiting for that perfect occasion.

Many of us forget that time is a gift and each day we’re alive should be cherished, appreciated and made the most of. We must stop living out of a place of fear but instead embrace the life that we have.

My father lived an enviable life and one thing I still remember about him was that he didn’t have ‘Sunday best’. He could wake up one morning and wear the most expensive traditional clothes that he had.

Many people would joke and ask what the occasion was and his response was always that he was alive and celebrating.

As we mourn with neighbours, friends and families, let’s remember that life is a gift and we must live it well and give thanks to the Giver of life.

Thanks for reading my post. Have a great week. Stay safe and sane.