“I’m killing time while I wait for life to shower me with meaning and happiness.”
– Bill Watterson

It’s hard to believe that it’s already August, yet here we are. My teacher friends are going back to work, and residents of the Gulf Coast are paying a little extra attention to the tropical storm activity which picks up near the end of summer. Where does the time go?

One day at a time, our future becomes our past. The potential of What Could Be gets steamrolled by the reality of what is. In our dreams we have many perfect days in our future. Days spent on some adventure, traveling, spending time with friends, being in love. One by one, those days give way to the seemingly endless drumming rhythm of life:
work/eat/sleep/rinse/repeat

In my 20’s I was comfortable with this passage of time. Like practically everyone else at that age, I felt like I had plenty of time to do the things I wanted to do. I thought that I was exactly where I wanted to be. Time was on my side. Not so much anymore.

Somewhere along the way that changed. Time started to have meaning. I missed an opportunity to tell someone how I felt about them before that chance was gone forever. I stood looking down on the Golden Gate Bridge, realizing that “some day” took far too many years to become reality. I realized that I would never have another conversation with my mother. I learned that this game is being played for keeps, and that I’d better start making some of those dreams into realities.

Whether you know me or not, do me a favor TODAY:

• Tell someone that you love them. Don’t do it in passing. Look them in the eyes.
• Call your parents.
• Call someone you’ve been meaning to call for far too long now.
• Start making plans for a trip you’ve always wanted to take.

Do one of these today. Do another one tomorrow. If you don’t make the time now, when will you?

Time. It’s the stuff that life is made of.