GAIL WHITE Time is a precious commodity -- take hold of every second

A few weeks ago, my 15-year-old son wanted to go to a volleyball game in a town 20 minutes away.
"Will you take me?" he wanted to know.
It was the last thing I wanted to do that evening. It was dark, cold and rainy. I wanted to curl up on the couch, not curl my fingers around a cold steering wheel.
"I wish you could drive," I said with a pout as I sluggishly put on my coat.
Robert felt a little bad about my grumbling, and he got in the car in a somewhat sheepish silence.
I don't know which one of us started talking, but halfway to the neighboring school we were engaged in a deeply profound conversation.
He's at the age where you don't know exactly what he's thinking -- or even if he is thinking.
In that 20-minute ride that I resented having to take, I learned that not only is this 15-year-old thinking, he is processing his life experiences, asking questions and looking for answers.
We talked about friends. He shared good and bad experiences he has had with classmates recently. He questioned some of their behaviors, wondering why they were behaving as they were. About others, he shared funny stories and laughed hysterically at their humor.
We talked about high school and the upperclassmen he has gotten to know. I was amazed at how he noticed the difference in their maturity and perspectives compared to his own age group.
We talked about goals and plans for his future. It was a great comfort to me to know the child has goals and plans that span longer than a week.
He got out of the car, and I watched him walk into the gym.
I wouldn't have missed this time with my son for the world!
Resolutions
At the end of another year, we all turn our thoughts toward resolutions. We evaluate our lives and set goals for the upcoming months.
Some of us will plan to lose weight this year. Some of us will focus on increasing our monetary value during the next 12 months. Still others will hope to multiply our friendships or expand our family ties.
Whatever our hopes and dreams may be for the new year, there is one thing that we can never increase or decrease, multiply or divide, expand or contract: time.
Certain things in life are different for everybody. Some people will have more money than others. Some will have bigger families. Others will have different gifts -- singing, dancing, sports.
But the one thing that is exactly the same for every person is time.
We all have 24 hours in a day, seven days in a week, 52 weeks in a year.
It is the way that we spend our exact amount of time that makes all the difference.
Some people spend their time looking at how other people are spending their time.
Some people spend their time with tunnel vision, focused on one aspect of life.
Some people spend their time looking ahead to a "better" time.
Take hold of your time
There is only one way to spend time -- and that is right now.
You can't waste time looking back in time.
You can't consume time by looking ahead in time.
You can't squander time by looking around at everyone else's time.
You have to grab hold of your time and spend every second of it like the precious commodity that it is.
You'll miss too many meals with friends if you wait to go until you've lost enough weight.
You'll miss too many football games and baking lessons with the kids if you put it off until your portfolio says you can afford it.
You'll miss too many opportunity that present themselves in your path if you are too busy spending your time looking at other people's paths.
For me, that drive on a dark, rainy night with my 15-year-old chatting by my side was a perfect way to spend my time that evening -- much better than curled up on the couch.
Because the next time Robert wants a ride to a volleyball game I'll be tossing him the car keys.
gwhite@vindy.com