A famous sufi Sheikh once visited the Caliph Harun al-Rashid, the caliph asked him if he wanted anything. The Sheikh said that he only desired a simple cup of water.
When the cup of water was given to the sheikh he asked the Caliph, “what would you give if no water was available to you and you are forced to trade for this one cup of water?”
Harun al-Rashid replied, “I most certainly would give at the very least half of my kingdom”
The Sheikh then said, “and what would you give if you were not able to release the waste of that water from your body unless you traded something for it?”
The Caliph said, “I would certainly give the other half of my kingdom”
The Sheikh smiled and told the Caliph, “It is God that controls both these things, so what is the worth of all your kingdom if it can be so easily traded for a simple cup of water”.
There are many (apparently) minor things in our life which we take for granted (from Allah) till the time it is taken away from us. Similarly this life which we easily laugh away (at times) we would realize the value of each and every moment of it when it would be taken away from us, but then it would be too late, not even the gold of the whole world would be enough to bring back even one second.
May Allah (swt) help us in realizing the importance of everything that HE has blessed us with. Ameen!