Second

Second, the same word used to reference the base unit of time, shares its name with a reference to the number two. That is no accident. While time is precious, we must remember that our plans, schedules, and daily lives should be second to the needs of others.

It’s not that our situations aren’t important, no more than a second isn’t significant, but each is only a part of a larger unit. As seconds make up minutes, which make up hours, our lives are meant to partner with others to produce a life that is better for all. Just as a second is closely followed by another, our lives should touch others’ lives.

A smile, a compliment, putting someone else first, all of these seemingly small things, make someone else’s life better. It may only take a second to add value to someone else, but no matter how much time it takes, it’s building something more.

The wonderful thing about a second is, it implies that it is not by itself. It has both followed something, and points to something beyond it. Being second is wonderful because it shows that you value someone higher than you do yourself. It also produces a chain reaction, that multiplies into the lives of others around you. Many times it returns its favors to the one who stepped back, so that others could step forward.