OPINION: Have we done what’s right when it’s time to take out our contacts?

When I began wearing daily contacts, they were packed with small boxes of 30 contacts in a big box with a three-month supply. As the years have progressed, they’ve eliminated the smaller boxes inside the big box. I like having the month’s supply neatly inside the little boxes for easy access, so I kept the last little boxes that were provided. 

Recently, I’ve been reflecting on time. Each day when I get my contacts out, I am reminded that another 24 hours have passed, and I can not re-live them. Pretty soon, all those little boxes add up, and 40 years will have passed. 

My Dad innocently highlighted this point recently. You see, Mom passed away from breast cancer in 2005. Dad was blessed to marry another amazing woman in 2009, and they have been dividing their time between their two homes. As they age, it has become more difficult to maintain both homes, so we decided as a family to sell Dad’s house. On Dad’s last visit to the house, he sat in the carport watching traffic go by while we worked. When I walked outside one time, he made a very sweet statement about the times he and Mom had sat together in the carport watching the traffic. It brought tears to my eyes hearing the love in his voice.

As I reflect on the tides of life, I am reminded that sometimes our focus gets diverted from what really matters. Whether you are in a season raising young children, trying to build a career, going through a divorce, or caring for aging parents, each phase of life presents a different set of challenges and stress. Lots of stress. Are we looking beyond the immediate needs and making the life we’ve been given matter in the long run? Are we focused on the right things?

This morning, I was scrolling through social media, and it was flooded with strangers belittling each other and barbs being tossed at people with differing views. It saddened me to see people trying to figuratively rip each other apart for absolutely no good reason. I grew up being taught that God calls us daily to be kind to our neighbors, to volunteer our time to help others, and to give to those in need. It’s the example my parents set for me, too. In fact, numerous references in the Bible tell us to feed the hungry, welcome the children, and serve one another in love. In doing good to others, we glorify the Father in heaven (Matt. 5:16).

When you take your contacts out at the end of the day, can you honestly say that you have made a positive difference in someone’s life? Have you made sweet, loving memories that will make you smile in your old age? Will those memories make your children smile in their old age? Have strangers felt valued because of something you said or did? Have you been devoted to others in love and honored them above yourself? Do your family and friends know how important they are to you? Because when we use our last contact lenses, isn’t that what really matters anyway?

“Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” Romans 12:10

Hope Alexander is a resident of Jackson and has submitted a few columns to The Post.