Lost time

I came down with COVID this week. It was a good run. I made it to this point, so I’m thankful.

At some point in my first couple of days of battling some nasty symptoms, I began to lament time I was “losing.” Appointments to be rescheduled. I even thought, “Goodness! I had two weeks of vacation followed by a great week of family in town. I need to get moving again!”

This morning I thought, “What is the problem? What REALLY is ‘lost time’?”

It’s something I grew up with that treated time as a commodity. It was something you held, you earned, you gave back, you worked for… and even “lost.” It was the bartering system. I work for you a certain amount of time and you pay me. There is a price on my time. A commodity.

I’ve lost nothing. Certainly not time. I have had needed rest in a vacation. I have had a wonderful time with family visiting in town. I have had needed isolation due to illness. These are all needed things. Pressing on and missing vacations or family or ignoring sickness doesn’t do anyone any good. I don’t “value” illness, but I do value the wisdom to stay away from other people so I don’t bring possible harm to them. (And there’s Zoom.)

What have I “lost?”

If I don’t gain a life of reflection and beauty and the treasure of family and friends… well, THEN I have truly lost.