What is PRESENCE ?

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in
awhile,
you could miss it."

What is PRESENCE?

A man going abroad to work leaves his fiancee crying. "Don't worry, I
will
write you everyday," he said. For years he did write her. But since he
was
happy with his job, he had no immediate plans of going home.

One day, he received a wedding invitation. His girlfriend was scheduled
to
be married. To whom? To the mailman bringing regularly the letters of
her
boyfriend! Indeed, distance does make hearts flounder.

The poor boyfriend surely explained, "What went wrong? I sent her
letters,
chocolates, and flowers."

When relationships go wrong, the list of things given and done for the
person usually crops up. We say, "I have given you this ! and that... I
have done these things for you." It seems that love is simply proven by
the
bestowal of gifts and favors. But while presents are important, love
demands what is basic: 'presence of the beloved'.

I have observed for instance, the orchids of my mother's. When she's
away
for a long time, they are unhealthy and many of them wither. But when
she
is around, they bloom with beautiful flowers. My mother does nothing
exceptional. She just spends much time talking and caressing them.

I guess human all the more require a caring presence.

Love is fundamentally a commitment to a person. We may be committed to
our
business, job, hobby, sports and clubs. But strictly speaking, they
cannot
love us back. Only a person can love us in return, and for that matter,
the
highest commitment as human beings, is spending time with those persons
we
love.

And since people need affection and nourishment, material thin! gs can
only
help up to a certain degree in fostering love. But it can never replace
the
greatest gift of presence becuz everyone needs someone - be it friends,
parents, siblings or simply that 'special' one.

Being there for someone need not necessary mean having to say alot.
Words
are sometimes redundant. Remember that 'presence' (to be there for
someone)is more than enough.

"What Is Most Valuable Is Not What You Have In Your Life, But Who You
Have
In Your Life".