This month due to space limitation, I will deviate from my serial articles on U.S. Presidents who were Masons to Alexander the Great, best known as the mighty Macedonian Conqueror of the ancient world. Alexander was born in Pella, Macedonia (now Greece) in 356 B.C., and died of Malaria at age 33 in Babylon in June 323 B.C.
On his death bed, Alexander summoned his army generals and told them his three ultimate wishes:
- The best doctors should carry his coffin......
- The wealth he has accumulated (money, gold, precious gems) should be scattered along the procession to the cemetery......
- His hands should be let loose so they hang outside the coffin for all to see......!!
One of his generals, surprised by these unusual requests, asked Alexander to explain. Here is what he had to say:
- “I want the best doctors to carry my coffin to demonstrate that in the face of death, even the best doctors in the world would have no power to heal.”
- “I want the road to be covered with my treasures so that everybody sees that material wealth acquired on earth will stay on earth.”
- “I want my hands to swing in the wind so that people understand that we come to this world empty handed and we leave this world empty handed after the most precious treasure of all is exhausted.... and that is TIME.”
I don’t know how true this is, but it is correct in theory. We do not take to our grave any material wealth.
TIME is our most precious treasure because it is LIMITED. We can produce more wealth, but we cannot produce more time. When we give someone our time, we actually give a portion of our life that we will never take back. Our time is our life!
The best present that you can give to your family and friends is your undivided TIME and attention. May God grant YOU plenty of TIME to share with all, especially you Fathers!
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!
Sincerely,
Vrej Mekhalian, PM
Senior Warden