20 May 2008

Where Does It Go?

Parents often say, "I can't believe my baby is ... years old!" Children grow and change so quickly. Little miss Charlotte turned 3 recently, and it seems just a few months ago I was helping Carie on their first day home. James will start Kindergarten in just a few months. And these aren't even my kids!

But I'm realizing this morning that time is fleeting for all of us. A friend asked me the other day what I do for fun, and I told him. I then realized how little time I really have each day that I determine how I spend it. By the time I go to work, care for the dog, do the regular house stuff (cooking, laundry, etc.), get to yoga twice a week, and maintain a bit of order in the yard, my week is gone and my head is spinning wondering where it went. It's not that my life is any busier than anyone else's - in fact, I'd guess I have more liberty in how I spend my time because I am single and childless. And I'm not complaining about my lack of free time. I enjoy the life I'm living right now.

I'm just saying that I really don't know where the time goes.

June 5 will mark 2 years I've been living in Paducah.
2 years.
That means I have lived in this city 2/3 as long as I lived in Atlanta.
I have been a member at Immanuel longer than I was a member at Peachtree.
I have almost lived in this house longer than my apartment that felt so much like home.
I have nearly paid off one of my seminary debts.
And yet, I still feel like Atlanta is just a few weeks ago.
That's bizarre to me!

Do you realize this year is approaching half over already?
I haven't even packed away my winter coat yet and it's time to be thinking about swimsuits and water skis!

I wonder how this happens. Where does the time go? Do I waste it? Do I fail to recognize its value? Or do I just get caught up in it so that it seems to stand still? Is the fleeting time I experience a good thing or a bad thing?

I'm not sure, but today I am wondering what I do with the time I have.

Maybe I'll leave the coat in the closet this year; winter will be here before I know it.

1 comment:

Ferris Family said...

Don't get me started on "where has the time gone?" I have a Kindergartener, a 1st grader, and a VERY stubborn almost 2 yr old...