Priorities, anyone?

People talk about getting priorities straight all the time.  Who REALLY does it?

If you serve a God, then ideally your hierarchy of importants should go something like :
God
Family (as defined by you)
Work (must support family)
Friends
Leisure
Extras

If you're a non-believer, then I'd think your hierarchy would go along the lines of :
Family
Friends
Work
Leisure
Extras

If you're wondering how I devised this, it goes as such:

We should commit the bulk of our time and energy to the people or entities we claim to love the most.  We have to work to provide for ourselves and family.  For me, FRIENDS actually is line with FAMILY because so many of my friends are considered family.  I put the extras in because we all have different things we assign priority.  For me, reading and writing would be one of those.

I am not absolving myself of guilt.  Let's get that straight right up front.  I mix these up like everyone else at times.  However, if there's a week when work takes precedence, should we not at least be emotionally committed to our higher-ups?

I hate it when people lament about not having the time to spend where they should.  Then, there's the usual something like, "But I was there in my heart!  You know I would be there if I could."

I disagree.  We do what we want to do.  The only thing I think most people do because it is a must is work.  I would love to hang out reading by a pool or ocean every day.  I can't.  I have a mortgage, car payment, insurance, etc.  I'd like to think those closest to me know that they are always at the top of my priority list.  But I make good choices and bad choices all the time.  The truth in that is that I am making the choices.

 I think we aren't very good at making the right choices.  There are some people who are great at it.  My friend Julie comes to mind.  I have those in my mind who I think suck at it, but I'll be discrete.
As a woman who has lived a life filled with emotional turmoil and loss, I urge you to rethink your priorities and make better choices.  That person who loves you may not wait around to feel like number one forever.