Brenda’s Blog – January 10, 2023
“We missed getting the burritos by 5 minutes! If we had gotten in line 5 minutes earlier they would have been ours.”
I stood in a long line at the local donut shop as all the January 1st donut eaters waited. The drive through line was long; the indoor waiters trailed through the small place to the door. The solo employee patiently alternated between the drive through window and the faces standing right in front of him.
Easy chit chat began. “The person in front of us bought the last five burritos. If we had only been five minutes earlier.” Clearly it wasn’t going to leave this mind quickly. But several bags of sugary, greasy treats seemed to appease him as he and his nephew walked out with a cheery Happy New Year!
It made me think about the “if onlys” in life – good and bad. A missed plane, a cancelled restaurant reservation, a work deadline – these prompt us to wish for those extra five minutes. But think about those many times when you pass an accident on the highway and you thank God you weren’t coming along five minutes earlier! Serendipity displays the marvel of five minutes. Think of the time you run into someone coincidentally because you crossed paths. A joyous meeting occurred because you weren’t there five minutes before.
We value time greatly, don’t we? We frequently say, “just five minutes more – that’s all I need…” How precious are those 300 seconds. On this first day of 2023 we usually take account of the days and months available to us in the year. Perhaps we need to expand our thinking to those small increments of time – those five minute intervals can bring extra verve.
Happy New Year! Make those minutes count and enjoy a twelve months of life full to overflowing.