This short story was circulated through email chains in the early 2000's, we thought this would be a good time to recirculate the tale and the reminder to use your time wisely.

"The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday mornings. Perhaps it’s the quiet solitude that comes with being the first to rise, or maybe it’s the unbounded joy of not having to be at work. Either way, the first few hours of a Saturday morning are most enjoyable.

A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the garage with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began as a typical Saturday morning turned into one of those lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time.

Let me tell you about it:

I turned the dial up into the phone portion of the band on my ham radio in order to listen to a Saturday morning swap net. Along the way, I came across an older sounding chap, with a tremendous signal and a golden voice.

You know the kind; he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business.

He was telling whomever he was talking with something about “a thousand marbles.” I was intrigued and stopped to listen to what he had to say.

“Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you’re busy with your job. I’m sure they pay you well, but it’s a shame you have to be away from home and your family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a week to make ends meet. It’s too bad you missed your daughter’s dance recital”.

He continued “Let me t ell you something that has helped me keep my own priorities.”

And that’s when he began to explain his theory of a “thousand marbles.”

“You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about seventy-five years. I know, some live more and some live less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five years. Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3900, which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime."

“It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about all this in any detail,” he went on, “and by that time I had lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays. I got to thinking that if I lived to be seventy-five, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy. So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. I ended up having to visit three toy stores to round up 1000 marbles. I took them home and put them inside a large, clear plastic container right here in the shack next to my gear.”

“Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away. I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life.”

“There is nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight.”

“Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign-off with you and take my lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure that if I make it until next Saturday then I have been given a little extra time. And the one thing we can all use is a little more time.”

“It was nice to meet you, Tom. I hope you spend more time with your family, and I hope to meet you again here on the band. This is a 75 Year old Man, K9NZQ, clear and going QRT, good morning!”

You could have heard a pin drop on the band when this fellow signed off.

I guess he gave us all a lot to think about.

I had planned to work on the antenna that morning, and then I was going to meet up with a few hams to work on the next club newsletter.

Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss.

“C’mon honey, I’m taking you and the kids to breakfast.”

“What brought this on?” she asked with a smile.

“Oh, nothing special, it’s just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids. And hey, can we stop at a toy store while we’re out? I need to buy some marbles.”

How many marbles do you have left?

Pull up a calculator, and run the numbers with the assumption you will make it to 75. I'm guessing, no matter your age, the number of Saturdays you have left will feel too small.

How are you using your remaining marbles?

As we recirculate this heartwarming tale, it serves as a timely reminder for all of us to reflect on how we spend our short time here on Earth.

The story of the 75-year-old man with his "thousand marbles" theory is a powerful lesson in prioritizing who and what truly matters.

In today's fast-paced world, we often find ourselves caught up in the never-ending cycle of work, chores, and obligations.

The demands of maintaining a regular grass lawn can add to this time-consuming list, robbing us of the limited opportunities to create lasting memories with our loved ones.

Just imagine the freedom of having more Saturdays to spend with family and friends, pursuing our passions, or simply indulging in relaxation.

A Low-Maintenance Lawn Can Free Up So Much More of Your Time

Artificial turf offers precisely that: a low-maintenance solution that eliminates the need for constant lawn care. By switching to artificial grass, we reclaim those countless hours spent mowing, weeding, and maintaining a thirsty lawn.

By making the switch to artificial turf, we free ourselves from the chains of lawn maintenance, allowing us to devote more energy to the people and activities that bring us joy.

Remember, life is too short to spend it all on tending to a regular grass lawn. Choose the path that allows you to savor the sweetness of Saturday mornings and fill your weekends with the moments that truly matter.

Wishing you a vibrant, hassle-free life with your very own jar of marbles.

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