What came to mind when you read the title, “Your Most Prized Asset”? I’ve asked this question many times and I get answers like; My children, my college degree, my spouse, my home, my car, my health, my pet, my family, my career, my diamond ring and the list goes on. When I ask this question of a dying person however, I often get a very different answer.
Have you ever asked yourself why you value what you value? Is the object important because of what it is or because of what it is not? Perhaps you cherish it because you know what you do not prefer. Or maybe you know it is important to you because you used to be without it.
Without giving away the answer that I often get from the dying person, of the above answers–or one that came to mind–which one can not be replaced? Although I may not wish to, I could replace any of the assets mentioned. What I am unable to ever replace is time in this life. When it is gone, I have less of it available to live and I can never add to the “pot” or replace what is lost.
So for the dying person, time in this life is like an hourglass that sits right there in front of their face. They know that without this one irreplaceable asset (time), none of the others can be enjoyed. They know, perhaps too late, that time in this life is a fleeting miracle and that everything else of value is only so because of it.
The dying person will tell you–as so often they have told me–that time at end of life is still time and still life, all the way up to the last breath. And no one knows better than the dying person just how meaningful time becomes when you know it’s fleeting! As I have witnessed, the value of this last bit of time actually increases, for the person and the loved ones.
As the saying goes, life is short and every moment is precious and valuable beyond measure, especially the last moments. So I leave you with this wish; may you honor your greatest asset by having an intentional, well planned end of life that allows you to enjoy all that holds value for you and your loved ones.
