Nothing Is More Important . . .


 

Family RelationshipsI sat next to the bed of old man, a friend for over twenty years, and held his hand. Hal was dying. We both knew these next few days would be his last.

We spent time reminiscing about his long and fruitful career as a church pastor. We talked about old friends. We chatted about his family. And I listened as he offered sage wisdom and advice to a member of a “younger generation.”

At a lull in the conversation, Hal seemed to carefully consider what he was about to say next. Then he squeezed my hand, gazed intently into my eyes and whispered, just loud enough for me to hear, “Nothing is more important than relationships.” I knew that this was somehow near the pinnacle of his life’s learnings. As he considered all of his experiences — personal, professional, spiritual and family, this one ultimate observation surfaced above the rest: “Nothing is more important than relationships.”

“Don’t get overly caught up in your career,” he seemed to be saying to me. “Likewise, don’t use people in order to achieve your goals, then throw them away. No project, no program, no task should be pursued at the expense of friends and family. Remember,” I heard him saying, as clearly as if he were speaking the words, “that in the end, only your relationships will truly matter. Tend them well.”

Writer Og Mandino puts it this way: “Beginning today,” he said, “treat everyone you meet as if he or she were going to be dead by midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness, and understanding you can muster, and do so with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again.”

At the end of a long life, my friend Hal would have agreed.

 Copyright  © Steve Goodier


10 responses to “Nothing Is More Important . . .”

  1. I agree wholeheartedly with your wise friend’s comments. I think that’s why it’s important to me to reach out and express my heart. Communicating is vital to keeping a relationship alive. What do you do when even that is a one-way street? Where you are prevented from giving back? It hurts a lot.
    Relationships are two-way streets-we need to be able to reciprocate. You can love someone, but if it’s not mutual, one person is going to get hurt. I recently sent out Facebook invites to two of my five siblings who live in another provice – both did not accept because they could not forgive and want to hold on to grudges. Sad. Or how about loving/waiting for a man (for years) who seems to dislike my presence in his life. It’s painful to want certain people in my life – but it’s not mutual. Best thing, sometimes, is just to give them their peace and release them with the Love that is in your heart. If they (or anyone else) thinks they were used, then that’s sad. Were they open to receiving back the caring they were giving out?

  2. Great advice. I also have adopted the live each day as if it is your first day. Look at life with all that awe! Thanks for the work you do each day.

  3. Not too long ago a dear friend died in a car crash. When I went to his funeral, although he had no living relatives, about a 100 people showed up from many parts of the country. I got to thinking, if I died today, who would come to my funeral? It planted a seed that is changing my life…

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