We live in an age of strained attention spans. At work, we flip between writing an email, to reading a different email, to working on a presentation, to shooting out a text, to reading the news, all happening seemingly simultaneously. We are almost never completely focused on one thing, one person or one activity. That’s why the gift of time has become such a rare and precious commodity, and something that should be cherished.

I was lucky enough to share my actual, 29th birthday day with Santiago and some of my classmates who are in DC this summer. We went on a White House tour in the morning, followed by an amazing dim sum lunch where they came by with carts of dumplings, buns, meat and fresh veggies, a stop at the National Portrait Gallery, and a romantic dinner with my Colombian. It was a very special day, not because it was my birthday, or because of any particular gifts, but because of the people who deliberately shared their time with me, creating moments together.

Time is the best gift of all. Because our time is pulled in so many different directions constantly now, sharing time intentionally with the people we love is all the more special.

Thank you to those who share your time with me. We are on a wonderful and beautiful journey called life.