11. Lady Time

She told us to shut up.
My instinct was to protect my kids.
But the old lady was right.

We were at a classical music concert.
My kids were making too much noise.
I apologized.

They obediently stayed quiet until the end.
I glanced a few times at the old lady.
She was totally immersed in the music.

We had arrived late at the concert because of train delays.
The old lady arrived late too.
And so we were not allowed into the main hall until intermission.

So they put us in a different room, and we all watched the concert on a huge screen.
I decided to pull out some snacks from my backpack.
My kids loved it!

Servers were preparing drinks noisily.
And the music was barely audible through the speakers.
Still… the old lady never left the music.

At the end of the first half, the old lady came out of her trance.
She turned to my kids and thanked them for staying quiet.
And then she explained herself.

"You know," she said.
"I'm old, and I needed to take it all in because I don't know how much time I have left."
"I promise you I'm not an evil witch."
At that point, my kids and I started laughing.

Even though I cannot imagine what it feels like to be that old…
I can understand her reasoning.
She was protecting something. Her time. Her attention.
A unique experience she would never get back.

What if I did the same?
What if I lived like that—respecting time, experience, and attention.
Now, at the age of 40.
Because time is not guaranteed.

What a wonderful visit from Lady Time.