When I think of the semester coming to a close and the end of my third year in college near completion, I am reminded how quickly time goes by and how precious each moment really is. Sometimes I think we get so caught up in the daily routine of life that we bypass the simple, more beautiful aspects of the world that surrounds us.
We seem so conditioned to follow a certain plan or manufactured blueprint that most of our lives consist of the constant battle to advance and survive in a world where the cost of living continues to rise and success equals money.
From the time we are born, we are thrown into a process in which we spend the first quarter of our lives going through schooling just to be able to eventually obtain a position in the career field of our choice and commit our time to advancing in that field. In the process, years fly by and time keeps ticking.
It would be hypocritical of me to pretend as if I am not so caught up in my work at times that I forget to stop and take in all that surrounds me day to day. However, I have made a conscious effort to enjoy the special moments and to take those opportunities to slow time down once in a while.
We all must survive in a world where the pace is predetermined and rapidly increases before our eyes. The one thing that remains consistent is the amount of time that continues to pass.
Life is not a dress rehearsal and we only get one chance to navigate through this journey and take full advantage of what life has to offer us. There is so much more than we sometimes take the time to notice whether it’s the beauty of a sunset on the drive home from work or the serene silence heard after a beautiful snowstorm.
I remember looking forward to important milestones when I was a little girl. The first that comes to mind is my 16th birthday. It always seemed so far away but then it came and I was driving my new car off the lot before I knew it.
After that, I prepared for the excitement of the big 18th birthday that everyone always talked about. Getting accepted into a college and eventually celebrating my 21st birthday seemed so far off that I didn’t even bother getting excited. After all, everyone always told me how young I still was.
Now my 21st birthday is in the past, I live in my own apartment and the next milestones seem larger than life. I look ahead to graduation next year and the departure into the world of my undetermined career. While my 16th birthday floats further away, marriage and a family become milestones that are closer within my view.
In the past, these milestones never really made me think twice about life and how quickly it has gone.
Although I am still young, I realize how quickly those future milestones will mark their presence in my life.
As I close out my third year in college, I realize what a journey lies ahead of me but how precious the moments along the way will truly be.
