Time: Thief or Gift?

I've seen lots of people, especially new moms (something I'm not yet but will be soon; hi, Baby S!), talk about how time is a thief. It comes and goes quickly, passing as if it's almost never there. If you feel that way, I think that's totally valid and okay.

However, I see time as a gift. Wouldn't you say those fleeting moments are what make life great? The fact that leaves only stay bright colors for a short while makes me love them more. Knowing I only have a brief moment to love my people as they are right now has me loving them as fiercely as I can.

It's fascinating to think about the anticipation of those transitions. Many of life's big changes, positive or negative, are planned for or fretted over for what feels like eternity. And then the change just comes. And oddly enough, no matter how much we prepare, we can't adapt immediately. I think that's frustrating for us as human beings. We knew it was coming, we should be ready and capable of moving forward. But some changes demand to be dealt with more intensely. Then there's the transitions that sneak up on us, where suddenly we're different or our lives are profoundly different, and we didn't even notice the change happening.

Everything is seasonal. Our entire lives are made up of transition and change. Having been in some pretty dark seasons, I'm grateful for the constant evolution of life and the knowledge that heartbreak is also fleeting. Time is a gift, and the world doesn't owe us anything. No one told us we'd be guaranteed a certain number of days or a quantity of happy moments while we're here. We have a responsibility to make the most of the time we have been given. I know the hard things won't last forever and neither will the best things. All we can do is dive in and ride the waves.

-J