“Always be there for the person who is always there for you.” – Unknown
On a recent night of channel surfing, I heard the following sentiment: “As we grow older, our Christmas lists get smaller and we find out that the things we really want can’t be bought.”
For many, that list would include unconditional love, acceptance, commitment, compassion and having someone be there to share in your life.
“Buying” something is an easy task – finding a person possessing all those characteristics is invaluable and difficult. But not impossible.
As I started writing this post, it reminded me of a song I always find myself coming back to year after year without fail – Cyndi Lauper’s 1983 hit Time After Time. It’s one of those songs which often leaves me feeling melancholy and blessed all at the same time. Here’s the refrain:
If you’re lost, you can look and you will find me
Time after time
If you fall, I will catch you, I’ll be waiting
Time after time
While originally written as a love song, I’ve come to admire how the song juxtapositions so many other relationships in life – parents, children, friends, siblings.
What a comforting feeling to know that as you journey through life, there will always be someone there whether you’re young and foolish or face to face with the end of your existence.
The song reminds us that time after time, we take for granted that we’re never truly alone.
Malcom Forbes once remarked, “Presence is more than just being there.”
Take a look at the relationships in your life. How do you measure up?
Are you only an active participant in the lives of others when it’s convenient for you? When there’s something for you to gain in return?
Have you turned your back on someone who’s been there for you time after time with excuses rather than truths and sincerity?
As we grow older, our Christmas lists do get smaller, and what we discover is this. “There’s nothing more vital to the bond you share with someone than simply being there for them.” (Suman Rai). Time after time.
