In the classic movie The Shawshank Redemption,
Andy Dufresne puts it succinctly to his friend Red, “I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really, “Get busy living or get busy dying.”
Recently, I wrote about losing a good friend named Harold. I attended his funeral and I was honored to speak briefly. In a two-hour celebration of life, I heard many others speak about Harold and the difference he made in peoples’ lives. He was a good man who gave much to many people. However, the gifts he gave were not treasures of material wealth. They were treasures of the heart… time, attention, compassion, encouragement, empathy, and presence. As I listened, what captured my attention the most was that despite his poor health, Harold gave to others until the very end. He was busy living.
Constancy and Longevity
Celebrations like Harold’s give me pause to contemplate how my life might be measured when it is my time to pass. I hope it will be less about the size and amount of my time, talent and treasure I gave; and more about the constancy and longevity of my service to others.
So, I ask myself if am I getting busy living? Am I taking advantage of all the time I have? Am I making a difference that will endure? Or, am I just finding ways to fill my time until it expires?
I Wonder
I wonder. Suppose someone writes a large check to help renovate an elementary school that desperately needs it. A second 
man goes to the same school every Friday to have lunch and interact with the students. To be a role model. To have conversations and mentor young children. Both are outstanding acts of charity. After twenty years, what might be the lasting impact of those two gifts?
Get busy living.
How Much?
At some point most of us will think we have “given enough”. But I remember my friend Harold and think again. He was literally busy living until the day he died. How many of us could find an hour per week to have lunch with students who would welcome a conversation with a dad? How much difference might that make over twenty years?
For perspective, in Be There Dad, I wrote:
That doesn’t mean we do not fulfill our other responsibilities. It means that we learn to value time with our children more. In the lives of our children, some events will occur only once. Each birthday, championship games, and graduations are but a few. The day to day events like soccer games, dance recitals and weeknight dinners will also go by and not return. If we miss them, we cannot recover. The world only spins forward!
On the other hand, every day holds the opportunity to do a thousand different things with our children. If we look closely the chances to be there for our kids are endless. Talking at the dinner table, walking the dog, playing catch in the backyard, and reading a bedtime story. These are ‘touches’ that are waiting for us. Moments that may seem insignificant at the time will add up over the years to be a lifetime spent together. [Be There Dad, p. 115-6]
Get busy living.
My Measure
I have recently wondered about the measure of presence I should give to others. I think about all the hours of presence that were given to me by my parents, aunts, teachers, coaches, professors and others to help make me into the person I have become. If those hours are my measure received, shouldn’t I get busy passing on the same? Ask a coach, a teacher, or a mentor, who gets more value out of helping kids? I know the answer.
Get busy living.
Opportunities
These thoughts are not just for older folks. Young dads can ask the same. Are you busy living? Are you giving back the measure that has been given to you? An hour each week volunteering 
as a lunch buddy. Three hours a month cleaning the school grounds. Two hours a month reading books to second graders. And the list goes on. Are we showing our kids how to live? Can we show them excitement and enthusiasm every day? The sand in the hourglass will run out for all of us. When it does, will we be satisfied that we have lived a full life? According to Andy Dufresne, “it comes down to a simple choice, really.”
That Will Be Enough
I hope when my time is over that some folks will gather to celebrate my life. I hope when they do, the one thing they will all say is that he was busy living to the very end. I hope that will be enough.
