If time is of the essence, why do we spend so much of ours squandering it?
I’m pretty sure that if time were a person, I wouldn’t like her. She is unforgiving, relentless and waits for no one. She is also very sneaky and will take you out without warning or discrimination. Harsh.
I never gave time much regard, but as I get older I value it more and wish out loud I hadn’t squandered so much of it. Twenty four hours in a day quickly adds up to a lifetime of living before you know it.
We should respect time more, knowing that at some point we will run out of it.
I remember crying at each of my daughter’s birthday parties. I knew that it was the only birthday of her year that I would experience. I cried for happy … and for sad. Those days I did respect time and I clutched at the moments it gave me. It gave me plenty.
For those of us who have lost people we love, time is a bitter bitch. No other way to put it. There comes a moment in all our lives when we would give anything for one more day or the chance to do things over in a better way. We will never get it.
They say that time heals all wounds. I beg to differ. It’s true that some things hurt less in the memory of them, but the wound is still there. It’s learning how to manage it that gets us by, and time gives us the opportunity. For this, I’m grateful.
I’ve always found it irritating how the clock rules our lives. Business meetings, doctor appointments, dinner engagements, project deadlines. We can’t escape it. It organizes us and keeps us in tow, but it’s exhausting.
A pet peeve of mine has always been those people who are perpetually late, clearly not respecting my time. I wonder if they will ever realize that time is one of our most precious commodities.
I feel badly for those people who do not respect time. It will slap them in the end. And where time is concerned, there is always an end.
I’ve heard it said that time is a thief. I disagree. I think it is a giver.
It gives us everything. It is in the not living of it that exhausts its existence.
I don’t know how much time I have. I do know I’m enjoying the time I’m in. I find myself humbled by it all.
Time has been a formidable teacher for me. I am not grateful for all of its lessons, but most. I don’t think I’m the only one who has felt kicked in the teeth by time’s passing, or thankful for its gracious gifts.
Time is a tricky business. Once lost, it can’t be found. I love growing old with it. I hope I’ve got lots more time to spend complaining (do you not know me at all?), visiting with friends, seeing plays, movies and concerts, sitting under a black sky gazing at the stars, and loving. Loving is the most important part about our time. It’s all a gift. We are all better for remembering that.
If you know what you would do with one extra hour of time in your day … I hope you do it.
A personal note, as my readership grows (thank you, thank you!!) I will be changing the name of this blog from Surviving Single to: (drum roll please ….) Witty Woman Writing. Your thoughts and suggestions are always welcome!
Darbie - Beautifully put- and ouch! 🙂 I get it! Ok ok!
Sue Cove - Thank you. It was nice having time to sit and read all my emails!
Time goes by so darn fast. I really hope that I am making a difference for just one someone and then my time spent here is good. Oh, if I could save time in a bottle!!!
Suerae Stein - A very thoughtful post. Yes, time is tricky, a friend and foe. It goes by oh-so-slowly at the dentist and oh-so-quickly on vacation! Thank you for making me appreciate the time I have a little bit more – great writing! ~ Suerae
Connie Pshigoda - You are so on time with your timely wisdom! I love your new name . . . very fitting, my friend! I enjoy the time we visit on the phone. Thanks for the reminder to treasure every second!
tp - I know I’ve become less lazy as I’ve grown older. So much I want to accomplish. I want to fill my grandchildren up..with love and what wisdom these years have allowed me to gain. I do put away the need to make the bed, to clean house twice a week. Or rather to clean house at all. What difference does it make? Not doing it gives me time with those I love. I chose to live and not to sit around waiting to die!
tammy - Darbie, thanks! The names and faces of this post have been changed to protect the innocent (and guilty). Happy it spoke to you. Good to have you here!
tammy - Sue, I’m quite sure you have touched many. Call it a hunch. And if you do ever find out how to bottle time … put me down for a thousand bottles. Thanks for posting.
tammy - Suerae, I truly appreciate the compliment, thanks for that. And I truly love having you here. Every once in a while a thoughtful post is called for, don’t ya think?
tammy - Tp, you bring up a good point. Housework is a whole lot less necessary than spending time with family. Less lazy is good. I’m right there with ya. Keep hugging those grandchildren and filling them with your wisdom. Thanks for your post.
tammy - Connie, you are a pretty awesome lady and I’m happy to have you on the other end of my posts. I hope to live up to my new blog name. No pressure. (gulp)
Cynthia - Time truly is the essense of life, isn’t it. And some of us really do spend too much of it trying to fix things that cannot be. Thanks for your wisdom. Lotsa love.
Jenny - TIME to tell you how many I love our new friendship and how much I love the name of this blog changing!
tammy - Thanks, Jenny. It is wonderful knowing you are on the other side of my posts. Thanks for being here.
tammy - Cynthia, Trying to fix ourselves is rarely a lost endeavor. Trying to fix others is ususally a futile exercise that generally ends in disappointment and loss of precious time. That’s my two cents. Thanks you, as always, for being here!
tammy - Appreciate the nice review! Thanks for being here.
Anne Tichauer - Tammy,
What a great article! I can relate to this. I find that every minute of my life is now very precious. One of the reasons, I gave up a well-paid job to enjoy life’s small pleasures.
Having lost a son, and still wish and wish I had spent more time with him, is never going to happen! Just enjoy your articles as they always ring true in my ears!
tammy - Hi Anne, We both know that losing your child is something you never get over, you just get through it. It appears that I am wrong…and that time was a thief to you and your family. I know for a fact you are making the most of it now. And, NOW, Anne is pretty much all we have other than our heart’s memories and the love it holds for us. Thanks for your post, loved hearing from you!
Kris Henderson - It’s all those lessons of life that time teaches us, isn’t it. No truer words ever written.
Kris Henderson - Thanks for the “timely” message!
tammy - Thanks, Kris. Love your word play. Thanks for the post!
SIS - Tammy….you really do always seem to hit it right on ! I agree on every point, and when all is said and done, may we remember to love those we love, care for those we care about, and for goodness sake….show up on time…always !!!!
tammy - SIS, from your mouth to God’s ears! Let us all adhere to YOUR words of wisdom. Thanks for posting, great having you here!
Carmen - Hi Tammy, Time…such a great word with an impact we don’t realize! To Qoute a few:
Time will tell, Time is a good friend, Time tells all, Time is of the essence, time is worth money, Time is infinite and so on and on. An amazing article as usual.
Thank you.
tammy - Thanks Carmen! I appreciate very much having you on the other side of my posts. As a woman who speaks her mind (I should know) I am happy you speak it here. Thanks for posting!
Marie - Great post. Time goes by. We can’t manage it, stop it, find more of it or make it. We can only use wisely the time we do have.
tammy - Marie, great having you here. There-in lies the rub: using the time we have wisely. I fall victim to many moments of lag time and after the days end I reprimand myself for not using my time better. It’s exhausting being me! Thanks for the post.