INTANGIBLE GIFTS

They say the best things in life are free, but do we really notice that they are gifts when we receive them?

I always appreciated the moments where I got to be around my family and my closest friends. Even the times where I would travel (although those were definitely not free), I always took a few moments to realize how blessed I was to enjoy new experiences. The most important gifts in life are the ones that we cannot measure. The ones that are referred to as “priceless”. Those gifts are the ones that stay with us and mold us into the people we are for the rest of our lives. These intagible gifts were on my mind this morning, and I thought what a lovely way to add onto the Happiness project sharing a significant gift I received a few years ago.

My grandfather died when I was 16. I had the kind of relationship that anyone would have with their grandfather at that age. I always went and said hi to him when I visited, but my conversations with him were short and to the point. Now that I’ve grown up, I always think about how our relationship would be different if he were still around. I would give anything to sit with such a brilliant mind even if it was just for a brief moment. As I started to get older (about 4 years later) I sat down with my grandmother and we began talking about boys and relationships. At the time I really hadn’t put much thought into who I was going to marry, but I began to ask her questions about how she met my grand father and how I would ever know who the right person to marry was. Her eyes lit up as she told me a story about a time that her sister called when she was a newly wed, wanting to come into town to visit her. She proceeded to tell me that my grandfather was on a business trip in London at the time, but her sister came into town anyway and they were able to spend a few days together alone. My grand father came home a few days later bringing gifts (as he always did when he went out of town) for his children & his wife. Then she told me that he pulled out an extra present for her sister. An exclusive (& expensive) watch that could not have been found anywhere other than the UK, and my grandmother’s sister began to cry. As my grand mother was telling me this story her eyes began to tear and that is when she gave me a piece of advice that stayed with me throughout all of my experiences after that moment. “The person that you want to marry is the one who treats your siblings, your parents, and your friends as if they are his own.” That statement guided me throughout college, and was the deal breaker when I met H. I wanted someone just like my grandfather. It was one of best priceless gifts I have ever received. Thank you, Taita.