(Lifted from the inspirational movie by Mac Anderson of Simple Truths)

In the faint light of the attic, an old man, tall and stooped, made his way to the stack of boxes that sat near one of the little half-windows. Brushing aside a wisp cobweb, he title the top box towards the light and began to carefully lift out one of the old photograph album after another.

His search began with fond recollection of the love of his life, long gone, patiently opening the long buried treasures, soon, lost in a sea of memories. Although, the world had not stopped spinning when his wife left it the past was more alive in his heart than his present aloneness.

Setting aside one of the dusty albums, he pulled from the box what appeared to be  journal from his grown son’s childhood. Opening the yellowed pages, he glanced a short reading, and his lips curved in an unconscious smile. Even his eyes frightened as he head the words that spoke clear and sweets to his soul it was the voice of the little boy who had grown up far too last in this very house.

In the Utter silence of the attic, the words of the guileless six year-old worked their music and carried the old man back to a time almost totally forgotten . Entry after entry stirred a sentimental hunger in his heart. But it wad accompanied by a painful memory that his son’s recollection of those days were far different from his own.

But how different ?

Reminded that he had kept a diary journal of his business activities over the years, he closed his son’s journal and turned to leave having forgotten the cherished photo that originally triggered his search. Hunched over to keep from bumping his head on the rafters, the old man steeped to the wooden stairway and made his descent to the den. opening a glass cabinet door, he reached in and pulled out an old business journal beside each other. His was leather-bound engraved with his name in gold, while his son’s was tattered and the name “Jimmy” had been nearly scuffed from its surface.

He ran long skinny finger over the letters as though he could restore what had been worn away with time and use. As he opened his journal, the old man’s eyes fell upon an inscription that stood out because it was so brief in comparison to other days. In his own neat handwriting were these words, “Wasted the whole day fishing with Jimmy. Didn’t catch a thing.

With deep sign and shaking hand he found the boy’s entry for the same day, June 4. Large scrawling letter, passed deeply in to the paper read: “Went fishing with my Dad. Best day of my life”.

To the world, you may be just one person…but to one person, you might just be the world!

What a touching story…that reminds us to always nurture, love and spend quality time the greatest gift God could have ever given to us.

May be some of us would ask: “How can that be when I am always away as demanded by my work?”

I have learned from the teaching of Chiara Lubich, Foundress of the focolare Movement, that you can be ever present and united with your loved ones even at a distance by doing perfectly the will of God in that precise moment where He sends you. God will take care of the rest and will make present in their hearts. But when physically around, be a “present” be giving 100% of that limited time you have to be concretely present even to what you think mundane to listen to their stories, play and work with them.

“Nothing you do for your children is ever wasted. They seem not to notice us, hovering, averting out eyes and they seldom offer thanks, but what we do for them is never wasted.”

-Garrison Keillor

By Marilyn B. Fabiana/KLMA Philippines