I remember being completely exhausted as I would prepare dinner, trying hard to have everything hot and ready at the same time. Hoping Sean’s arrival home after his 2-3 hour commute would coincide when everything was placed on the table. It seems like we were off the mark more than we were on it. I strived to have our family sit down around the table for most of our dinners. As my business grew, and demanded much of my time late into the evening, it became more difficult pull off this nightly routine. My home cooked meals became replaced with quick convenient foods, not nearly as healthy for my growing clan, but I would still strive for a couple nights a week for the family to gather together for dinner.

I admit, some nights I felt completely defeated in my efforts. Like the time I made BBQ ribs in the roaster oven. They were cooked on low for hours till they were perfect. We were all looking forward to dinner that night as the house was filled with the savory aroma of roasted pork and sweet and spicy sauce. I turned the oven all the way down so they would not over cook as I had to finish up the last few things in my studio that night. I returned 30 minutes later to find that I had accidentally turned the knob all the way up, and our perfect ribs were now charred and ruined. Ashamed of my reaction that night, knowing it is seared into the memories of Sean and the kids. It was not pretty.

There are plenty of things I can look back on in my life and wish I could tweak or change a little here and there. Building those memories and keeping our family connected is something I can look back on with zero regrets. This was the glue that kept us together during hard times.

I miss having all my kids together now, as my two boys (now men) have moved out and are making their own marks on this world. Still having three girls at home, I choose to stay connected and nurture our relationships. Sometimes this is over a meal, or just catching up in the mornings or at the end of our day. It is sobering to think that in only a few years, the girls will be out of the nest too, and a new chapter of our lives will arrive.

Life slows down for no one. The old saying “time is money” is not true. When you lose money, there are ways to earn it back. Time is different, we are each given 1,440 minutes a day and that clock gets reset every day. Invested properly we can revisit these minutes through memories and healthy relationships that will return dividends beyond measure.

Where do you choose to invest your minutes today?