The gift that keeps on giving

Iegsaan Ally (email)

It is that time of the year when many of us empty the cupboards and fill the boxes with toys to donate to the less fortunate. This is a good practice.

As our children grow up, so too does the kind of toys change that we donate. At first we give the fluffy toys, then the bulky ones and then the smaller, more expensive things.

In the process, however, as a parent one cannot help but become nostalgic about the time, or occasion, the gift was bought for and for how long they played with it. Some toys lasted for years, while others were one-hour toys (they break before the hour is over).

Imagine if we could give our children a gift that lasts throughout their entire lives. I’m not talking about durability, but rather perpetual entertainment and fascination. As they grow, this gift evolves with them. There is always a new facet to the gift that they did not realise was there until they matured enough to enjoy it. It constantly unfolds into something new and fascinating.

As they change it changes, and they are never bored with it. In fact there is no other gift like it in any store. It doesn’t get outdated, but rather moves with the times. Wouldn’t that be great?

Well … we do have a gift like that. Ourselves.

From the minute we were born we started discovering things about ourselves. We want to see more, enjoy more and experience more. In doing so we are increasing our knowledge and enriching our experiences. We are discovering even more things about ourselves. Our one talent gives birth to another and another, until we cannot understand how we even accomplished so much.

All goes well until that dreadful day. The day we decide that we have accomplished all we set out to do. That is a bad day.

Now we have a job, a partner, a house, a car, some children, a dog and a fish. Our lives now revolve around them, and only them. To make matters worse, we are faced with politics, interest rates, petrol prices, and so many other stresses, that we wake up tired and already running out of time.

That body, mind and spirit is the gift that the Lord gave you. It is the gift that keeps on giving.

Keep discovering new things about yourself. Find those hidden talents and take on new challenges. Be excited about things and challenge yourself just to see what else you are good at. Don’t put a time limit on learning. Don’t get to a point where you feel that you are too old to learn or contribute to society. The older you get, the more valuable you are to society.

Keep going. Live life to the fullest.

Don’t die before you are dead!