Borrowed Time

Borrowed time, we hold it now…..  
I want to sit under the stars and watch the night unfold
I want to stay here with you now and whisper really close
Remember what I said as you lay down your head
The only thing that stays with us is love.
From the song "Borrowed Time," by Antigone Rising
(with permission of Nini Camps, Antigone Rising)

As we approach the Thanksgiving and holiday season, my heart seeks what really matters.   We are living in a time of constant visual images.  Our smart phones let us document every occasion for all to see.  But the sound track of our lives is usually more fleeting.   Each day, all day, we hear sound bites - snatches of conversation, the environmental soundscape around us, streams of music…they come, and then they are gone.

In this stream of sounds are a series of moments…and embedded in them are bits of beauty, what I think of as “everyday wisdom.”   I am not thinking of profound wisdom from great teachers, but the simple moments we catch every day.  A whispered “I love you.”  A child’s insight…my grandson, turning 5, asked his mom if he could wish everyone good health as he blew out his birthday candles. Yes, replied my daughter.  Because, he continued, that is a very important wish.

One patient I saw today was amazed she heard birds again with her new hearing aids.  The daughter of another lady said “My mom is so much more engaged.  She and my sister enjoyed a movie together – it was the first time in ages they could do that.”

So, you can see these are not earth-shattering moments.  They are little memories of the past few days. They are the moments that add up to our days and nights, and that’s what there is!  Here is a long-ago bit of everyday wisdom that has stayed with me:  I was a little girl and was at a birthday party. The children were playing a game.  I was shy, hanging back, and my mom encouraged me to play.  "I'll play later," I said. My mom replied that the game was on now, if I waited till later, I'd miss out.   If you have concerns about your hearing, address it now – don’t let those precious moments slip away.

Happy Thanksgiving.  I wish us all gratitude for our blessings.  In the words of this song:

So make the most of it
Like a wave crashes the shore
Make the most of it
‘Cause we can’t come back for more
Make the most of every minute as it turns into a day
Before it slips away…