There was a story in the news this week about a father in Florida who had developed his ten commandments for anyone wanting to date his daughter. One of those was, “Thou shalt better have a life.” I smiled at that one, although you have to admit, there is a lot of truth there.
I think of all my friends in Colorado this past week (and there are many) who suddenly came face to face with having to decide what is most important in life. With just an hour’s notice in some cases, they had to pack up their most prized possessions and leave their homes, knowing that anything left behind may very well become ashes.
So what do you think they took? Did they load up the high dollar high definition television they had worked so hard for or the leather sofa? No. Invariably, they took the things that were most valuable to them, and those things were all about people. First, they made sure family members were safe. Then they quickly gathered pictures, videos, personal mementos – the kinds of things that may seem worthless to others but were priceless to them.
If you think about it, we spend so much of our lives working to get all the “other” stuff – stuff that if we had to evacuate with one hour’s notice would not even make the cut. So I think this father’s tongue-in-cheek advice actually is very wise – “thou shalt better have a life”. It is better to have a life well lived, to invest in people, than in any other thing.
My friend Kevin Miller was in New Mexico with his family serving at the Manuelito Navajo Children’s Home as the blaze started back home in Colorado and quickly spread across the ridge to within a mile of his house. He wrote a profoundly insightful article about the experience, summarizing it by saying, “Only the stories of what we’ve done, who we’ve been, and who we’ve loved matter.” He gets it.
We just save the stories.
–Kevin Miller, Founder of Free Agent Academy
I was privileged to join Kevin via live video for a class with the children at the Manuelito Navajo Children’s Home. I have to tell you, seeing those kids and being able to help them in some small way was priceless to me. It is now part of my story, and I treasure those moments.
What story are you writing this summer? Are you spending time on the kinds of things that you would carry with you if you were evacuated from your home?
This summer…write a great story.
Invest in people.
Create memories with your loved ones.
Create the treasures that a fire cannot destroy.
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Create a better life for yourself and Discover Your Best Focus!
(Next Group Class begins July 25th)
Deb,
What a great reminder for what is actually valuable. I have had interaction through our church with the Manuelito Navajo Children’s Home in the past. At the present we support a children’s home on Long Island NY. All this work is heart wrenching.
As to the fires, too often we all wait until a disaster happens to draw close those who are important to us. My brother died at age 25 when I was 21 and my world has never been the same as it brings to my memory my loss. I was in Germany with the Air Force at the time. I mention this because we so often take for granted the valuable resources that are so fragile.
Combine this news with the real reason for July 4th and we should all take stock in our families and friends, the real possessions.
The Best Is Yet To Be!!!! — Jerry
Jerry
Thanks for your comment and what a small world that be both know of Manuelito Navajo Children’s Home and that I live on Long Island. Is the home you support Prodigal House by any chance?
We thoroughly enjoyed our family 4th of July, we made some great memories, the type of treasure that fire can never take away and I hope you did the same!