by Jim Stovall
“Jason, isn’t it true that—as a part of your grandfather’s bequest of The Ultimate Gift to you—he taught you about The Gift of Gratitude?”
Jason nodded and replied, “Yes, sir.”
Hamilton continued. “Isn’t it also true that Red Stevens shared with you a process called The Golden List?”
Once again, Jason nodded in agreement and said, “Yes, sir.”
Hamilton smiled as if understanding and asked, “Could you please share with this court about the process of The Golden List.”
Jason nodded, cleared his throat, and began. “My grandfather told me about a process he had learned many years before that had made his life better. Each day, you simply think of ten things that you are thankful for.”
Hamilton inquired, “Did you perform this task within the thirty days allotted to you for The Gift of Gratitude?”
“Yes, sir,” Jason confirmed.
Hamilton retrieved a page from his counsel table and returned to Jason, asking, “I have here a copy of the list you made of the things you were thankful for during your Gift of Gratitude month.”
Hamilton held the list out in front of Jason and said, “Can you please confirm for the court that this is a copy of the list you made in your own handwriting?”
Jason looked over the list carefully, glanced up at me, and stated, “That’s my list.”
Dudly interrupted, “I’ll take a look at that, if you don’t mind.”
“Be my guest,” Hamilton said with mock cordiality.
L. Myron Dudly glared at the page in contempt, retorted, “Whatever,” and stomped back to his seat.
Hamilton slipped his out-of-date reading glasses onto his nose and held the page at arm’s length. “I see here on that day you were thankful for your friends, your family, and The Ultimate Gift, among other things.”
Hamilton looked up at Jason over the reading glasses and asked, “Does that seem right to you?”
“Yes, sir,” Jason confirmed.
Hamilton folded his glasses and put them into their ancient leather case. He glanced up at me and said, “That will be all, Your Honor.”
I waved at Dudly.
L. Myron Dudly approached the witness box as if he were a homerun hitter who needed several runs in the late innings.
“Mr. Stevens, would it be true that for the majority of your life you took your wealth, position, prestige, and opportunities provided by your grandfather totally for granted?”
“That’s true,” Jason admitted.
“Furthermore,” Dudly pressed, “isn’t it true that during his life you never once thanked your grandfather and actually were ashamed of him to an extent that you wouldn’t even claim him as your grandfather but wanted to palm him off as some kind of distant great uncle or something?”
Jason sighed and slowly nodded his head, stating, “Yes, that’s right.”
Dudly shook his head as if disappointed in an unruly child and inquired, “Then how can you expect this court to believe you understand gratitude because you made up one little list of things anyone should be grateful for on one particular day?”
“It wasn’t one day,” Jason replied defiantly. “I have a Golden List for every day.”
Dudly exhibited false shock, saying in a ridiculous falsetto voice, “Well, excuse me. I guess you feel qualified to manage several billion dollars because you wrote down a list every day that month.”
Jason shook his head and reported, “No, I have made a Golden List every day since my grandfather shared the idea with me.”
Dudly laughed mockingly and asked incredulously, “You want to sit there and have us believe that every day since your grandfather’s death, well over a year ago, you have taken the time to mentally formulate a list of ten things for which you are grateful?”
Jason reached inside his jacket as he spoke. “I not only thought about what I was grateful for, but I wrote it down.”
A worn leather diary could be seen in Jason’s hand. He held it lovingly.
Dudly quickly masked the shock he felt and said, “Let me see that book.”
Jason held it out toward him. Dudly flipped through a few pages and sighed as if feeling great impatience and frustration.
“Mr. Stevens, you want to tell this court, under oath, with penalty of perjury, that you have written in that book ten things you’re thankful for every day since the time your grandfather presented you with the idea of The Gift of Gratitude?”
Jason shook his head and said, “No, sir.”
Dudly slapped his hands together and exclaimed, “I thought so.”
But before Dudly could continue, Jason said, “This is actually my third book. The first two got filled up.”
Dudly shook his head in disbelief. He said haughtily, “Well, why don’t you just read us your supposed entry for today?”
Jason reverently turned the pages and began to read. “Today, I am grateful for the groundbreaking for the community center in the park. I am grateful for the single moms who made it possible. I am grateful for the people of the community who built the park. I am grateful for Jeffrey Watkins who was willing to take my case when no one else would. I am grateful for my friend David Reese who helps me keep laughing through this difficult court case.
“I am grateful for Miss Hastings for always being there for me. I am grateful for the class at the school for the blind and the people at the senior citizens’ center for teaching me a lot. I am grateful for Mr. Hamilton for being my lawyer and my friend. I am grateful to Alexia for loving me when I’m not always lovable.” Jason closed the book, putting it back into his pocket, concluding, “And I’m grateful to Emily for teaching me, through her dying, how I should be living.”
Dudly shuffled toward his chair, mumbling, “That’s all.”
The silence stretched out across my courtroom. Finally, I broke it, ruling, “It is the finding of this court that Jason Stevens has adequately demonstrated The Gift of Gratitude in his life as defined by Red Stevens. We will reconvene this hearing in a month to judge his ability to pass on his Gift of Gratitude.”
Before I did anything else that day, I sat at my ridiculous behemoth of a desk in my chambers and jotted down my Golden List. I called Marie to tell her that I loved her and let her know that she was number one on my list. I knew this would be a habit that would stay with me all the days of my life.
Another month had flown by. Back in my courtroom, Jason was on the stand being questioned by Mr. Hamilton.
“Jason, how did you pass along The Gift of Gratitude this month?”
Jason recounted the story. “This month was homecoming at my Ivy League university. I never exactly graduated with any particular class, so from time to time I just show up at homecoming to see a few friends I met during my time there.
“They have a banquet each year after the football game for the alumni who are back on campus. Since this court case has gotten so much media attention, the dean of the university asked me if I would like to say a few words of greeting to everyone after the meal. I got up onstage and told them all about The Gift of Gratitude and The Golden List.
“A lot of these people are like I was. They’ve been given everything they ever thought they wanted so they haven’t gotten a lot of what they really needed. I told them that the next step toward moving into their future and getting what they want is to reach into their past and express gratitude for what they have.
“I showed them my diary.” Jason patted his pocket where the diary was kept and continued. “Many of them started jotting down lists on napkins or the backs of programs. The Gift of Gratitude I presented received a standing ovation.”
Hamilton smiled and nodded confidently and then inquired, “And then what happened, Jason?”
“Well, it was a few days later that I got a call from the pres
ident of the Alumni Association. Every year, they raise money for scholarships. This year, they have endowed the Red Stevens Memorial Scholarship—which will be awarded each year—to a deserving student from the inner-city park Saturday School.”
“Thank you for everything, Jason,” Hamilton said warmly.
I looked toward L. Myron Dudly and the assembled legal team from Dudly, Cheetham, and Leech. Arrayed behind them were the various assorted members of the Stevens clan. There seemed to be a lot of anxiety among the entire group. It was as if they realized that the time on the ticking clock of their case, representing billions of dollars, was rapidly running out.
Dudly shakily stood and croaked, “No questions.”
I stated for the record, “Hearing no opposition, this court accepts Jason Stevens’ presentation of The Gift of Gratitude as presented. This court stands adjourned until 10:00 a.m. tomorrow.”
The ultimate life is nothing more than a series of ultimate days. Today’s the day!
Thirteen
THE LIFE OF A DAY
I could feel the marathon known as The Red Stevens Last Will and Testament Case approaching the finish line; but as any great marathoner will tell you, just before the final phase of the twenty-six-mile ordeal, you hit an invisible but very real obstacle known as the wall. The wall has stolen the hopes and dreams of many a competitor.
Rex the Wonder Dog and I were taking a vigorous walk around the Howard “Red” Stevens Urban Park. Rex was expertly leading me by his leash. Since he could feel me trying to restrain him with the leash, he felt confident enough to explore any direction or change course at any time.
In life, and most certainly in walking Rex the Wonder Dog, control is an illusion. Rex and I have spent many such hours with him leading the way and me contentedly following behind. He is not nearly as young nor as fast as he used to be, but then neither am I. A veritable match made in heaven between pet and master. Rex and I just aren’t sure who fills which role in that relationship.
The seasons of my life have been punctuated by first owning and then growing to love a series of loyal dogs. I have kept an informal list of things that I absurdly think I would do differently if I were King of the World. I realize that the odds of this happening are not great.
Among the many things on my list are: If I were king, we would enjoy the energy of youth when we had the wisdom of age to temper it. If I were king, winter would be shortened to a period just long enough so that we would fully appreciate spring, summer, and fall. And not the least of these, if I were king, a beloved dog would live long enough to be with you all the days of your life.
I shared with Rex my concerns and inadequate feelings surrounding the Red Stevens case. Rex listened attentively, as he always does, and looked at me with those big brown eyes that communicate, “I may not understand what you’re talking about, but I know that you are more than capable of doing whatever needs to be done.”
It’s wonderful to have someone who always believes in you. Between Marie and Rex the Wonder Dog, I am doubly blessed.
The time finally came for me to get back to the court building and for Rex to get home and perform his unknown, but no doubt vital, tasks for the day.
I had thought the courtroom had been filled to capacity during the ten months of this case, but as we entered the eleventh and next-to-last month, Jim and Paul had to set up additional folding chairs, covering every square inch of the available space.
“Good morning,” I said to everyone. “Today, we are here to consider The Gift of a Day as outlined in The Ultimate Gift left as a bequest from Red Stevens to his grandson, Jason. It’s all yours, Mr. Hamilton.”
Theodore J. Hamilton called Jason Stevens to the stand, and I reminded Jason and everyone that his testimony was still under oath.
Hamilton began. “Mr. Stevens, were you given a lesson and an opportunity to perform tasks by your grandfather regarding The Gift of a Day?”
Jason nodded and confirmed, “Yes, I was.”
“Share that experience with us,” Hamilton prompted.
“My grandfather told me to think about how I would spend the last day of my life.”
Hamilton smiled, encouraging Jason as he continued. “Well, I decided I wanted to get up early in the morning and think about my Golden List of things I was thankful for, but on my last day, it would be a lot longer than ten things. I would want to have a really nice breakfast with a group of friends outside on a patio. I hope we would talk about how all of us could get the most out of our day and our lives. Then I decided I would call a lot of people who have meant a great deal to me in my life and thank them—like Gus Caldwell, the people at the library in South America, and the kids at the Red Stevens Boys Home.”
Jason paused, took a deep breath, and sighed heavily. He looked at his extended family members across the courtroom and said, “I decided I would like to call all of my family members, thanking them for the good times and apologizing for the bad ones. Next, I decided I would take a friend to lunch and talk about the dreams he has for his life.
“That night, I decided it would be good to have a special banquet for all my friends. I would tell them how much they meant to me and share with them all the gifts in The Ultimate Life. We would videotape the banquet so that we could share that time and message with other people as they consider their lives.”
Hamilton paused and then said, “Jason, I want to thank you for sharing that.”
Hamilton returned to his seat at the counsel table, and I offered Mr. Dudly an opportunity to question Jason.
“So, Mr. Stevens, let me get this straight. To prove that you understood The Gift of a Day, you made up a group of activities that you thought were important to do on your last day.”
Jason nodded and confirmed, “Yes, sir.”
Dudly continued. “If these items are so important that you would want to be sure you did them on your last day, how many of them have you done to date?”
Jason fidgeted for a few moments, cleared his throat nervously, and said, “Well, I haven’t done them all. It’s not easy to master The Gift of a Day, but I have done a lot of them. I’ve called and written friends I wouldn’t have contacted without learning The Gift of a Day. I am more conscious about thanking everybody for what they have done for me in my life, and I have dedicated myself to passing on my grandfather’s Ultimate Gift.”
Dudly, sensing weakness, circled for the kill. “So, Mr. Stevens, if it is so important to pack as many things as possible into each day of our lives—and certainly the last day of our lives—can you tell us why, after your grandfather’s lesson and after having a whole month to think about it, you didn’t plan anything for the entire afternoon of your mythical last day of life?”
Dudly beamed triumphant, and Jason looked down at his feet and mumbled, “I did have plans for the afternoon.”
“Oh, you did, did you?” Dudly stated confrontationally. “Well, if it’s so important, why don’t you share those plans with us now and tell us why you didn’t present them when you were asked to as a part of your sworn testimony.”
Jason glanced uneasily toward the counsel table, let out a long breath, and said, “More than a year ago when, through a video, my grandfather taught me about The Gift of a Day, I prioritized every minute of what I would have planned then for the last day of my life. I had intended to include plans of spending the afternoon in the park, at a museum, and out on a sailboat in the harbor.”
Dudly rubbed his hands together in glee and asked, “Well, Mr. Stevens, if all that’s so important, why did you fail to even mention it in your sworn statement earlier?”
“I had planned to do all those things with Emily,” Jason said as a tear rolled down his cheek.
The sounds of several people softly crying could be heard as Jason continued. “But I guess what I re
ally learned from planning my last day is the fact that everything’s important because for some of us, like Emily, it really is our last day.”
Dudly looked like a giant balloon that had just lost all of its air. He shook his head and plopped into his chair.
I tapped my gavel and spoke. “This court finds in favor of Jason Stevens. We will reconvene in thirty days to conclude the matter relating to The Gift of a Day.”
I watched Red Stevens teaching his grandson on the screen before me.
“Jason, I want you to know that as I was contemplating the ultimate gift I wanted to present you through my will, I spent a lot of time thinking about you. I think you gained a permanent place in my Golden List each morning. I am thankful that you and I share a family heritage, and I sense a spark in you that I have always felt in myself. We are somehow kindred spirits beyond just our family ties.
“As I have been going through the process of creating my will and thinking about my life and my death, I have considered all of the elements in my life that have made it special. I have reviewed many memories, and I carry them with me like a treasure.
“When you face your own mortality, you contemplate how much of life you have lived versus how much you have left. It is like the sand slipping through an hourglass. I know that at some point I will live the last day of my life. I have been thinking about how I would want to live that day or what I would do if I had just one day left to live. I have come to realize that if I can get that picture in my mind of maximizing one day, I will have mastered the essence of living, because life is nothing more than a series of days. If we can learn how to live one day to its fullest, our lives will be rich and meaningful.”
I thought about The Gift of a Day and what I would do with my last day on earth. I told the court clerk to reschedule any hearings I had the next day, and then I called Marie and told her that tomorrow was reserved for The Gift of a Day.