Over the phone, his mother told him, “Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday.” Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.

“He is the one who taught me carpentry,” he said to his Mother. “I wouldn’t be in this business if it weren’t for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important. Sure, Mom, Ill be there for the funeral,” Jack said.
As busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser’s funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.

The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see Mr. Belser’s old house next door one more time.
The house was exactly as Jack remembered it. Every picture, every piece of furniture were in the exact same place.
Then, Jack stopped suddenly!

“What’s wrong, Jack?” his Mom asked.
“The box is gone,” he said.
“What box?” Mom Asked.

“There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he’d ever tell me was ‘the thing I value most,’” Jack said.
Returning home from work one day Jack discovered a package in his mailbox. The handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention. “Mr. Harold Belser” it read. Jack ripped open the package. There inside was the gold box and a note. Jack’s hands shook as he read the note.
“Upon my death, please forward this to Jack Bennett. It’s the thing I valued most in my life.” A small key was taped to the note. His heart racing, as tears filled his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful, gold pocket-watch.
Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched the cover. Inside he found these words engraved: “Jack, Thanks for your time! Harold Belser.”

“The thing he valued most was…my time.” Jack muttered to himself.
Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and cleared his appointments for the next two days. “Why?” Janet, his assistant asked.
“I need some time to spend with my son,” he said.
“Oh, by the way, Janet, thanks for your time!”

Story offered by Jack Bennett.

Comment:
Spending time with a friend or friends is not a waste of time. It is what Jesus described as the better part of living during His conversation with Martha and Mary in Bethany. In today’s little miracle, Jack learned that the thing his friend, Harold, valued most was the time he could spend with him. This message goes against many of the assumptions of our culture wherein time is measured, not by the good we can do, but by the money we can make. It challenges us to think twice about the values of competition, material success, and workaholic feverishness in almost every aspect of life today. It challenges us to be human, not a commodity.

Spend time with your friends! It could be the very thing they value most about you.

Fr. Hugh Duffy