The Gift of Presence

I’m grateful to be back with you after a few weeks away. I’ve been away tending to family matters, particularly caring for my father, for whom I hold medical power of attorney. His health has been fragile, and these past weeks have required my full attention.

Thankfully, Dad has improved enough to begin physical therapy, and I’ve returned with a heart full of reflections. Today, I want to talk about the wisdom of friends and the spiritual gift of presence—how being grounded in the moment can shape our relationships and our experience of faith.

When I first arrived at the hospital, my mind was spinning with worry. The situation was a rollercoaster—each day brought new information, shifting possibilities, and no clear outcomes. I became so focused on what might happen that I lost touch with what was happening. I talk often about the importance of being present, but in those moments of crisis and decision-making, I found myself swept into a current of uncertainty.

It wasn’t until a dear friend, Sarah, gently reminded me, “James, don’t get so caught up in the outcomes. Practice being present—that’s your real gift,” that I began to shift. Her words grounded me. I realized I was letting fear of the unknown steal my ability to be fully with my father, fully in the moment.

So, I changed my approach. Each day, I sat with Dad—eight to ten hours at a time. I fed him, listened to him, held silence with him. We talked about life, about death, about what mattered most to him. He reminded me, with his characteristic wit, that he wasn’t rushing toward the end, but when it came, it came. We both knew this time was precious. We didn’t leave anything unsaid. And because we were truly present with each other, I can honestly say there’s no unfinished business between us.

There’s something profoundly healing about simply being there. Not trying to fix, explain, or control—just being. I wonder, have you ever had an experience like that? Have you noticed how transformative it is to truly show up for the people you care about? Even with strangers in a grocery store, when we slow down and pay attention, we start to see and hear what we might otherwise miss.

We live in a society obsessed with outcomes. We measure progress, success, even relationships, by what they produce.But the truth is, the most meaningful parts of life often emerge not from what we do, but from how we are—how we show up in each moment.

Of course, planning for the future matters. But if we’re so focused on what’s next that we miss what’s now, we lose the beauty that’s right in front of us. Those five days in the hospital with my dad were a gift I might have missed if I’d stayed caught up in outcomes.

So here’s my invitation to you: Practice being where you are. Cultivate presence. Find friends and spiritual companions who can call you back when you drift. Try a simple meditation practice—just a few moments a day to return to your breath, your body, your being. It’s not about doing; it’s about remembering that you are a human being, not just a human doing.

You never know what gift this moment will bring. Don’t miss it.

And always, always remember: You are infinitely precious and unconditionally loved for the gift you already are.

Until next time—

James