600 seconds

What 10 minutes of your life would you relive if you had the chance? Table Talkers tell theirs.

Published October 27, 2006 6:30PM (EDT)

Imagination

Answer a Question, Ask a Question - Part V

LaurenF - 04:19 pm Pacific Time - Oct 25, 2006 - #4955 of 4982

What 10 minutes of your life would you like to live again?

Meera Hyphenated - 04:45 pm Pacific Time - Oct 25, 2006 - #4961 of 4982

Julian looking at me while we were playing in the water at the Jersey shore and him saying, "Mama? This is the best day of my LIFE."

I still get choked up when I think of that.

Please, more?

LaurenF - 04:47 pm Pacific Time - Oct 25, 2006 - #4963 of 4982

Right after our wedding, at the reception. I never felt such an excess of love in my life. I felt it in great waves, and I wondered what to do with it all.

Next?

Heidi Lynn - 05:32 pm Pacific Time - Oct 25, 2006 - #4968 of 4982

Any 10 minutes in Jamie's arms. Any at all. But I'll pick one for you guys:

Standing at our wedding reception while the photographer fiddled with his backdrop, looking up at Jamie and hearing him tell me what was going through his mind during the ceremony: "I was looking down at you when we were saying our vows, and I noticed you have this line under your eye, right here, and I thought, 'How cool is it that I'm going to see every line that comes on to your face from now on.'"

Anybody else?

Jeanny - 06:00 pm Pacific Time - Oct 25, 2006 - #4970 of 4982

I'd like to relive the 10 minutes of my last pastoral visit with Fred, an elderly member of the first church I served as pastor. Fred, who had been blind for many years, had had to be moved to a nursing home, and it was a terrible one. I'll spare you the details. Fred got sick and needed surgery, so he was moved to the hospital. I went to see him, and he told me over and over what a beautiful and wonderful place the hospital was, how caring the nursing staff was, and how he felt he was in a little bit of heaven. He also told me that he hoped he would die during the surgery. He'd lived a long time, he said, and he was ready to go, especially in this beautiful place.

I took his hands and prayed with him, then started to say goodbye. He raised his hand, stopping me, and said the benediction I often used at the close of worship: "May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you." ... Fred died that night, before his surgery, and the words of his benediction were the last he ever spoke to me.

I was too new in ministry to recognize what a rare and grace-filled moment that was. I'd like to live it over again, knowing what I do now, so that I could really appreciate it.

On second thought, since I still get tears in my eyes when I tell it, maybe I don't need to go back.

Your 10 minutes to relive? Or your latest happiest?

Lando - 06:50 pm Pacific Time - Oct 25, 2006 - #4971 of 4982

My latest happiest was about two weeks ago when I flew up to D.C. on the spur of the moment to spend a day with my dad. It had been so long since we had just been together, just the two of us, and that had been our natural state all during my growing up. It was like taking a vacation back to how we used to be.

And he laughed so hard and so freely during the concert we went to, and drank two beers and told me funny stories of his college years. It just reminded me of all the reasons why I wanted to be just like him when I was little.

Whoa, getting a little misty here, myself.

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