91 & 1

Dear Friend,

My Grandma turned ninety-five this week. My baby girl is a few weeks shy of one. Ninety-five and one. We visited one another. As the two sat together, I was struck by the sight of a near century touching. They were six inches in proximity, then two, then one, then none. Kisses. Ninety-five and one.

Both wanted to hold.
Both wanted to touch.
Both wanted to giggle.
Both wanted to play.
Both wanted the time to extend –
And not waste away.

If time could crunch, it did.
When it did, I saw –

That from the beginning to the end of our lives –
What really matters is not what we build, achieve, or even dream.

It’s who we hold –
For how long –
And with what love.

Ninety-five and one.

Grab a pen: Where is your emotional energy going these days? Are the people you love prime recipients or parched companions? What is one thing you can do this week for someone you care about? Father God, I call back my emotional energy, help me to invest it well this week.