Reece Gardner: Love is the most important thing
I want to direct most of my remarks today about the importance of LOVE in our lives, and the very brief time we have to demonstrate our love to those whom we love the most. Let's do it NOW!
But first, as you know, the polls are now open for "Early One-Stop" voting at 6 locations - Tanglewood Church, Lenoir County Cooperative Extension, La Grange Community Bldg., Pink Hill Rescue, Carver Courts Recreation Room, and Teachers Memorial School - from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, so, as we all know, there is NO EXCUSE for not voting.
Included on our ballots this year, in addition to the various races for local and state offices, is the one-quarter percent Sales Tax measure (this is VERY IMPORTANT), as well as the six Constitutional Amendments, also VERY IMPORTANT. They deserve our support.
On the subject of love, it seems that no matter how long we have with our loved ones, it is so fleeting. My Emma and I have been married over 50 wonderful years and we wish that that this wonderful earthly life together could go on forever, but we know that there will come a time when we have to say goodbye to each other, and the pain we will experience when that happens will be very close to unbearable.
It is very important, therefore, that we strive to make each day count. We are happy this week to have our children - Daughter Jessica and husband Bob, and Son Reece, Jr., and wife Lisa - visiting with us. We cherish this time together. It doesn't happen often, since Jessica and Bob live in Atlanta, and Reece & Lisa live in Charlotte, and they lead very busy lives. But the love we share with them really knows no boundaries, and we have always striven to let them know how much we love them.
As I said in a previous column, we have been given the gift of unconditional love from our children, family, friends, and God, and there is no more precious possessions than that. If we, you and I, are conscious on our last day on this Earth, our last conscious thoughts are not going to be about the trips we've taken, the jobs we have held, promotions we have gotten, cars we have driven, or homes we have lived in. Our last conscious thoughts are going to be about how much we have loved and been loved in return. Thank God for that realization!
And now to close on a humorous note: A doctor of psychology was doing his normal morning rounds, and he entered a patient's room to find his patient sitting on the floor, sawing at a piece of wood with the side of his hand. Meanwhile another patient was in the room hanging from the ceiling by his foot.
The doctor asked his patient what he was doing sitting on the floor. The patient replied in an irritated fashion, "Can't you see, I'm sawing this piece of wood in half?" The doctor inquired, "And what is the fellow hanging from the ceiling doing?" "Oh, he's my friend, but he's a little crazy. He thinks he's a light bulb."
The doctor asked, "If he's your friend, don't you think you should get him down from there before he hurts himself?" The patient replied, "What? And work in the dark?"
Have a WONDERFUL day!
