If
you’ve heard the phrase “they got a bye” you probably know that it means a sports
team won’t be required to play a game on that day. Most players welcome a bye
because they have time to rest and recuperate before their next game.
But
when a bye occurs with one of my scheduled appointments, I become frustrated—a haircut,
manicure or lunch with a business associate or friend. The person calls and
changes the appointment. Even though a new time may be more convenient for me, my
first response is, “Jeez, I scheduled other meetings around this one and now I
have a gap in my calendar.” When this happens to me I take a few minutes to
re-frame the situation.
Imagine
that your bank phones and informs you that your account will be credited in the
amount of 86,400 pennies ($864) every day. The only stipulation is that it must
be spent that very day. No balance can be carried over to the next day. Every
evening cancels whatever sum you fail to use. Think about what you could do
with this gift. Would you spend every penny every day? What would you spend it
on?
We do
have a bank, which provides us with time, not money. It could be called the
Bank of Time. Every day this bank credits your account with 86,400 seconds. No
balances can be carried into the next day and every night erases what you do
not use. Failure to withdraw and claim it is your loss. Today I gave a mother
with small children the gift of time.
She
informed me that the timing of my previously scheduled appointment with her would
not work, but she insisted that she could stay late to accommodate me. Instead
of having my appointment today, I asked when would be convenient for her. I rearranged
my schedule for tomorrow and gave her the gift of time to spend with her family
today.
In
Giving,
Robin
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