One Thousand Marbles

Another thing I found years ago that I would like to share....

            The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday mornings. I love the quiet solitude of being first to rise, the unbounded joy of not having to be at work. The first few hours of a Saturday morning are most enjoyable.

             A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the kitchen with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand & the morning paper in the other. What began as a typical Saturday morning turned into one of those lessons that life hands you from time to time. Let me tell you about it.

            I turned the volume up on my radio in order to listen to a Saturday morning talk show. I heard an older sounding chap with a golden voice. He was talking about "a thousand marbles" to someone named "Tom."  I was intrigued & sat down to listen.

             "Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you're busy with your job. I'm sure they pay you well but it's a shame you have to be away from home & your family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work 60-70 hours a week to make ends meet. Too bad you missed your daughter's  recital."

             He continued, "Let me tell you something, Tom that has helped me keep a good perspective on my own priorities."

            And that's when he began to explain his theory of a "thousand marbles."

             "You see, I sat down one day & did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about 75 years. I know, some live more & some live less, but on average, folks live about 75 years." "Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 & I came up with 3900 which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime. Now stick with me Tom, I'm getting to the important part."

             "It took me until I was 55 to think this through in detail, & by then, I had already used over 2,800 Saturdays. I figured that if I lived to be 75, I had about a thousand Saturdays left to enjoy."

            "So I went out & bought 1,000 marbles & put them in a large, clear plastic container here in my workshop next to the radio. Every Saturday since, I take one marble out & throw it away."

             "By watching my marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life. There is nothing like watching your time on earth run out to help get your priorities straight."

             "One last thing before I sign-off with you & take my lovely wife out for breakfast.

            This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure if I make it until next Saturday then God has blessed me with a little extra time to be with my loved ones......

            "It was nice to talk to you Tom, I hope you spend more time with your loved ones, & I hope to meet you again someday. Have a good morning!"

            You could have heard a pin drop when he finished. I had planned to do some work that morning, then go to the gym. Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss. "C'mon  honey, I'm taking you & the kids to breakfast."

            "What brought this on?" she asked with a smile.

            "Oh, nothing special," I said.

            "It has just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids. Hey, can we stop at a toy store while we're out?" I said, "I need to buy some marbles."

MAY ALL SATURDAYS BE SPECIAL AND MAY YOU HAVE MANY HAPPY YEARS AFTER YOU LOSE ALL YOUR MARBLES!