Einstein started a revolution in our minds with his theory that time is indeed relative. Most of us have long sun faded memories of summer days that seemed to last forever. That magical time in childhood when time seems to be a friend. When you have such incredible physical representations of growth in your own being. Springing forth and changing in a whirl of missing teeth and pencil marks measuring your rise into adulthood. When you are in those moments your time is measured by accomplishments like losing your first tooth, hitting double digits, and graduating high school. Those posts that are clear and defined as a child become elusive after you have settled into life as an adult.
All at once your world explodes and time speeds up relative to that universal shift in your perspective. This evolution of who we spend our time with shifts. Our entire being before consisted of days filled almost exclusively with our family. My mind is full of memories like sneaking into my sister's bed at night when I was scared of the thunderstorms that rocked our windows. It is a jarring shift that occurs when we finally do leave the nest and realize that we are only going to see our families every few months...if we are lucky. Our friendships become paramount and define our time and growth.
Then, if you are lucky, you find a partner. Someone you want to build a life with. You start investing heavily in this type of relationship building. For a while your world becomes each other and you have to learn how to split your time between, friendships, family, co-workers, and your partner. The pendulum swings the other way and you start to refine those relationships in your life. Sanding the edges of your relationships and crafting those energies you want to fill your day with as your time becomes more valuable with its scarcity.
As we age more time is spent alone. You retire, your children (if you want to have them) leave the house and your time slows back down. It is during this period that you learn to value both the time with others and the time with yourself. Spending time cultivating those relationships as you age is vital. Understanding what brings you joy, what you want to fill your days with, and who you want to be part of the world you are building for yourself.
Time - it's like snow on the beach. Weird but fucking beautiful. You get to decide how and who you want to spend your time - scarce or plentiful as it is. Spend some time to understand what type of relationships you want to cultivate so you can spend your time wisely. Time is our most valuable resource - treat it with the tender care and attention it deserves. Like most things in life, it is kinder to those who treat it with respect.
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