I have always worn a watch. And my latest watch was given to me by my older brother when I lived in London. I loved that watch. It’s seen many years, new straps, many batteries and a few trips to the watchmaker, but it’s finally conked it.  And since it’s demise, I’ve not replaced it. Initially I felt lost without my watch, but now I’m starting to see ‘time’ a bit differently.

Time is a strange thing. It’s always there. We know it’s coming, we know it’s gone We work for it and feel that it works against us. We say we never have enough of it and that we always want a break from it.  With IPhones we are constantly reminded of the time, and these IPhones can consume so much more of our time than we should let them (but that’s another blog post all in itself!).

Time is such a constraint on our lives, and we can often be slaves to it, especially at this time of year – Christmas. But my Christmas this year is going to be different. It’s already started and I’ve made sure that the things I’m giving this year, and drenched in time.

I know that sounds like a total cop out, but hear me out.  Sure, I get involved in Christmas in it’s full spirit. I give presents, I donate to charities on behalf of my son as gifts to his family. I go to parties, I enjoy the food and all the festivities that come along with Christmas. But usually, I’m working against time the whole way. There’s never enough of it but I always end the season feeling like I never GAVE enough of it.  This changed for me this year when I offered to host my hubby’s family get-together at our house. There’s 12 of us that get together on the alternate year so we can accommodate everyone’s commitments. 2 couldn’t be with us this year but 10 of us got together at our house and we put on the shin-dig. Previous to this year, something like this would’ve frightened the daylights out of me. Catering for others, entertaining at our house… ARGH!!! But this year, I thought I’d go for it. We put on some great food (c/o Jamie Oliver and his 15 minute meals – of which I think I should re-name after this blog post!!!) We had the grog, the weather was perfect, we spent time at the beach with the kids and we just relaxed. We were not slaves to time. We didn’t worry about it and it wasn’t measured at all. The first time I actually looked at the clock to check the time was on Sunday afternoon, once everyone had left. It was 3pm. Where had the weekend gone? It was fantastic to have spent this time with our family in such a way, it made me think that time shouldn’t be measured in minutes and hours.

I need a new way of measuring it.

You can shove your seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks and the rest of it! I’m pretty sure the whole world discovered that time is never going away since the world really didn’t end!! What a cock up! However, I’ve decided I’m measuring time in conversations, heartfelt laughter, eye contact, warm hugs, peaceful silences and togetherness. This is my new time.

So instead of giving your time to your friends and family this Christmas in minutes and hours, give it to them in conversations. Ones that really mean a lot. Ask the questions you’ve been meaning to ask all year. Share heartfelt laughter with them and enjoy how it makes you feel. Maintain your eye contact when telling stories to them, and enjoy what you see in their faces. Give warm hugs that actually say ‘Merry Christmas’ not ‘ho hum I’ve spent a shitload this year and I’m grumpy about it’. Enjoy those peaceful silences that come after a few stories and drinks because that’s truly what being together actually means.

Give the gift of time, your time, this Christmas and don’t expect anything in return. To be able to give something of yourself at a time like this, speaks so much about who you are as a person and the people around you will remember it for a lifetime.

Time is the most valuable gift you have to give. Especially at a time of the year where everyone is possessed with cashflow, and really, the most valuable gift of all is always with you. It will pass you by if you’re not careful, so when it comes, make the most of it.

Merry Christmas to you all, I hope you’ve enjoyed my time in this post, I’m giving you the best of my time through these words and when we meet, I’ll catch up for a few ‘conversations and warm hugs’ – not minutes and hours!

These days’ I’m not wearing a watch anymore, and I’m rich in time.

These days are my days – love Linz.

PS I’m re-naming ‘Jamie Oliver’s 15 minute meals’ – Jamie Oliver’s Easiest, Most flavor-packed feel good food for dorks that think they cant really cook like me!!’  (that will definitely sell well!!)