This simple truism comes from the poem “The Last Saturday in Ulster,” written by Irish writer Nick Laird, the husband of celebrated English novelist Zadie Smith. Smith’s acclaimed third novel, 2005’s “On Beauty,” opens with this quote, which suggests that how we spend our time is one of the most powerful ways we can show our love. Its inclusion in the novel is a beautiful expression of love itself: Smith writes in the book’s acknowledgements, "It's Nick who knows that 'time is how you spend your love,' and that's why this book is dedicated to him, as is my life."