Time as a commodity

“Nobody sees a flower - really - it is so small it takes time - we haven't time - and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time.” -Georgia O’Keefe

In our everyday rushing lives time has become such a valuable commodity. We rush to and from work spending more and more time there. Work takes up a lot of those irreplaceable minutes. So many of the things we do are rushed. Microwave food, drive thru meals, 30 minute workouts, etc. We are obsessed with time and we’ve completely forgotten how to invest it as a commodity into something as important and rewarding as friendship. I read the other day that people have fewer close friends than they did even 20 years ago. Why?

It does take time to be a friend. Attention to the details that take time that cannot be replaced by anything. There really is no replacement other than taking the time with a person to become a friend. Perhaps this is the difference between a friend and an acquaintance. One of them is willing to take the time and know and remember the details, and the other simply either hasn’t had the opportunity or doesn’t want to. Isn’t it worth it though? I cannot think of a better resource in my life than my friends when I need support or love or listening to. I love that I can make my friends feel better or be there for them when they need me. It’s all about time and spending the time to be a friend, listen, learn and really examine the smallness and detail. It takes time.

It's not all about work. It just can't be.