It is really easy to get bogged down in time when we think about how long someone is in our lives. It might be a better strategy to just appreciate the value of the people we have in our lives. You can leave me a message and let me know how you related to tonight's show by calling ‪(512) 710-6341‬.

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Good evening and welcome to my humble podcast abode. I am Cocoa Griot, just a 50 something, who loves sharing ideas about life, love, and an abundance of other topics. Recently I was chatting with one of my neighbors and he mentioned to me that his brother passed away. I immediately launched a series of phrases like I'm so sorry for your loss. He stopped me in the middle of my commentary to let me know it wasn't about the time his brother was here. It wasn't about the value. That hit me really hard because what he was saying was right. I'm always deeply saddened when someone I consider as young passes away, and his brother was only in his mid-50s. From my neighbor's demeanor, I could tell his brother must have lived a full life. The time he spent on this earth was not as important as the value of the time he had here. I can relate to this train of thought on many levels. Tonight I'm going to share three examples from my life that I can honestly say the value outweighed the length of time. The first situation I want to talk about is with my grandmother.

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My grandmother Ethel Meeks, was truly an angel on Earth. When I was a little girl, my favorite place was in my grandmother's kitchen. She always smelled like vanilla, and she was an excellent Baker. I was so fortunate to have my grandmother in my life until I was 26 years old. I will never forget the week before she passed away. I put my little one in the car with every intention of going to the grocery store, but I didn't make it, I headed to my grandma's place. You might not think this not anything special, but it was 70 miles away from my house. I talked with her for hours about all of the fond memories I had with her. I don't know what made me drive to her house that day, but I was so glad I did. When I received the call a week later that she had passed away, I thought about the value my grandmother added to my life. Whenever I'm super stressed, I always smell vanilla and it calms me down. I didn't have her in my life as long as I wanted, but I'm so thankful I had such an amazing grandma.

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I have talked a lot about the women who made me the woman I am today, but I need to acknowledge that my dad was a major influence in my life as well. I remember my dad reading to me at night and me telling him what the words said, even though I could not read. by letting me tell him what was happening based on the pictures, he helped me to build a sense of confidence in myself. He didn't tell me I was wrong. He just reminded me that the words said something different. That also was part of what fostered my love and desire to read. My dad had no problems taking me shopping for girl's stuff when my mom was working. I remember one day we were in the store, and he ran into some guys he worked with. They were teasing him about holding merchandise that was for female cause, you know what I mean. My dad took it all in stride and said hey this is for my baby. I had the biggest smile because at that moment I knew I had the best dad in the world. My dad comforted me when I lost my husband later in life because he knew what it was like to lose a spouse. I could talk to my dad about anything in the world, and I miss my talks with him immensely. I was only 35 when my dad died. Again, I did not have him in my life as long as I wanted, but he added incredible value while he was there.

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Before I move on to talk about the last situation where value was more important than time, I want to introduce tonight's sponsor. Tonight's episode is presented by Misen. Virtually every chef agrees that a sharp well-balanced knife is the essential workhorse for any kitchen. A great knife should feel good in your hand, stay sharp, and hold up over time to the rigors of your kitchen. Simple, right, but behind these deceptively simple concepts are centuries of tradition, technology, design, and craft. Misen spent four years developing the perfect knife, because every little detail matters. Misen went through 37 different prototypes until they knew they had the perfect knife. The final result? A knife that's a pleasure to hold, sharp enough to plow through even the toughest foods, and a blade that stays sharper longer. The best part is by partnering closely with their factories and selling directly online, Misen is able to offer incredible cookware at wholesale pricing. Go to the link in my show notes to get your Misen Knife today. Misen, the perfect knife at an unreal price!

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There's one more situation I want to talk about tonight, where time does not compare to the value. I have to say that only having my husband for eight years was very difficult. When we stood in front of the Justices of the Peace at age 21 and 23, respectively, we were ecstatic. Yes, guys, we eloped! We only knew each other a total of eight months before we got married. One day he said, "I wonder if something is going to happen to one of us?" "Is that why things happen so fast between us?" It was such a prophetic question. When you are married to your best friend, life is good. It does not bother you to spend time together because you cherish the moments you are around each other. We played basketball, pool, went to plays, concerts, and just relished our time in each other's company. I will never forget the time he announced we were going to the state fair. All I could think about what's the tremendous heat, and the nagging flies, but being a team player, I put a big smile and hopped into the car. About an hour into our walk around the fairgrounds, before I wilted, he produced tickets to the show Cats. I was so thrilled and surprised. I should have known he had something up his sleeve. He was pretty good at surprising me. When you are with someone who's just as dedicated to making you smile as you are making them smile, life is grand! I didn't have this man in my life as long as I wanted, but I thank God that I had him as my husband. It is really important to appreciate the value of the relationships and friends we have.

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Thanks for listening this evening. And as always, I wish you good health, good fortune, and a good night. Cocoa Griot out!