A Thousand Marbles

from www.PositiveChristianity.net 

The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday mornings. Maybe it’s the quiet solitude of being the first to rise, or the simple joy of not having to rush off to work. Either way, those early hours have become something special.

A few weeks ago, I was making my way to the garage with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What started as an ordinary Saturday turned into one of those quiet life lessons that stays with you.

I turned on the radio, tuning into a Saturday morning swap net. As I scanned the dial, I came across an older gentleman with a strong signal and a golden voice—the kind that makes you stop and listen. He was talking about “a thousand marbles,” and I was immediately intrigued. 

“Tom,” he said, “it sounds like you’re busy with work. I’m sure they pay you well, but it’s a shame you’re away from your family so much. It’s hard to believe a young man has to work sixty or seventy hours a week just to make ends meet. I heard you missed your daughter’s dance recital.” 

Then he continued, “Let me tell you something that helped me set my priorities—a little idea I call ‘a thousand marbles.’”

He explained:

“One day, I sat down and did some arithmetic. The average person lives about seventy-five years. Some more, some less, but that’s about average.

So I multiplied 75 by 52 and got 3,900—the number of Saturdays in a lifetime.

Now stay with me…

By the time I thought about this seriously, I was fifty-five years old. That meant I had already lived through about 2,800 Saturdays. I realized I only had around 1,000 Saturdays left.

So I went to a toy store and bought every marble they had. I had to visit three stores to collect 1,000 marbles. I put them all in a large, clear container.

And every Saturday since then, I’ve taken one marble out and thrown it away.

Watching those marbles disappear helped me focus on what really matters.

There’s nothing like seeing your time running out to help you set your priorities.”

He paused, then added:

“This morning, I took out my last marble. If I make it to next Saturday, that’s just a little extra time—and that’s something we could all use.”

He signed off gently:

“It was nice talking with you, Tom. I hope you spend more time with your family. This is a 75-year-old man, clear and going. Good morning.”

The radio fell silent. You could have heard a pin drop.

I had planned to spend the day working on projects and meeting friends later. Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife with a kiss.

“Come on,” I said. “Let’s take the kids out for breakfast.”

“What’s gotten into you?” she asked, smiling.

“Oh, nothing special,” I said. “It’s just been too long since we’ve had a Saturday together.”

Then I added, “And maybe we can stop by a toy store…”

“Why?” she asked.

“I need to buy some marbles.”

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POSITIVE DAILY QUOTE:  

"If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so, I never have to live without you." – Winnie the Pooh.