The Important Things in Life

A philosophy professor stood before his class with some items on the table in front of him. When the class began, _________ he picked up a very large and empty _________ and proceeded to fill it with rocks, about 2 inches in diameter.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, _________ the open areas between the rocks.

He then asked the students again if the jar was _________. They agreed it was.

The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up the remaining open areas of the jar.

He then asked once more if the jar was full. The students _________ with a “Yes.”

“Now,” said the professor, “I want you to _________ that this jar represents your life. The rocks are the important things-your family, your partner, your health, your children-things that if everything else was lost and only they _________, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter-like your job, your _________, your car. The sand is everything else, the small _________.”

“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there is no __________ for the pebbles or the rocks. The same __________ your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are __________ to your happiness. __________ your children. Take your partner out dancing. There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party, or fix the disposal.”

“__________ the rocks first-the things that really matter. Set your __________. The rest is just sand.”

When our first grandchild, Noah, was born, we didn’t know what to expect. We thought he would be ________ and develop like others.________ , that was not the case.

Noah had a lot of health ________ from the very beginning, one of which was failure to ________ naturally.

We take a lot for granted(想当然)when we have children, and one is their eating. ________ 一 Noah wasn’t able to suck(吸)like most ________ . While in the hospital, a feeding ________ had to be put in. Though this was needed, it ________ our hearts to see what all Noah went through.

One day I was in the grocery store. A young mother was walking by with her ________ baby. The baby started to cry out loud. Then, in a bored voice, the mother looked at me and ________ that now she had to ________ the two-month-old baby again. I knew she was taking feeding her baby as an inconvenience but not something to be thankful for.

I understood the mother, but I ________ with her what Noah was going through. I said, “You have no idea how ________ my daughter would be to feed Noah like you’re able to. ”

Noah is unique and 13 years old now. He has come a long way. I’m thankful he can do things today that I didn’t know he would ever be ________ enough to do.

Today, let’s take some time to ________ things we often take for granted and be thankful.