Lifestyle

Timing Is Everything, But It's A Tricky B*tch That's Hard To Measure

by Jenna Martucci

I define time as a paradoxical concept of measurement. It is stubborn. It is challenging. It is bittersweet.

This is what makes time a power much greater than any of us.

Time is both measurable and immeasurable. It is a strand of numbers with order and repetition, hence why it can be used as a measurement.

We are each given the same amount of time in a day to do whatever we choose -- physically, mentally and emotionally. I am amazed by how many different things we can do with time. But, who is to say how much time each of us has in this life? This is why time is immeasurable.

Did you ever notice how quickly all of your favorite moments come and go?

It’s like time speeds up and they’re gone before you know it. My college career at Penn State flew by. I was still accidentally calling myself a freshman halfway into my sophomore year because I just couldn’t believe a year had already passed.

On the contrary, time enjoys watching us suffer.

Those heartbreaks we endure feel like entire lifetimes. It’s as though your struggles in that very moment never end. Time makes sure we learned our lessons the first time by grieving for longer than we’d like, so we don’t make that same mistake twice.

Time even knows when you’re finally acclimated somewhere.

As soon as you get comfortable, it decides to make a huge change. Time does not appreciate comfort zones. It makes us grow up, often sooner than we’d like.

When the house in which I grew up sold, I couldn’t make sense of it. Moving away from my hometown to a brand new city 10 hours away was not a comforting concept for me. Thanks to time, I am slowly adjusting to saying “you guys” instead of “y’all.”

Unfortunately, we can waste time. Too often, people spend it being angry or sad, when thinking about the past and future. We also abuse time.

When special moments or loved ones vanish, all we are left with is guilt; we realize we didn't know what we had until it was gone.

This is why time teaches us we have this moment, right here, to do whatever it is our hearts desire. It reminds us to love others and ourselves, no matter the imperfections.

For something so consistent, time is highly unpredictable. In our journeys, we face adversity and obstacles. Trials and tribulations are time’s way of testing us as a reminder to be grateful for what we have.

As the hardest lesson of all, time forces us to practice patience. It’s pretty ironic because time is the ultimate rule-breaker of patience. I’ve never known something as impatient as time. It truly waits for no one; it never stops ticking.

Sometimes, we must simply wait for the tide to drift. Easier said than done, I know.

Keep in mind that time will not bring us all that we desire. All the while, we must have trust that time will bring us what we deserve. Building this trust with time and ourselves sets us up for lives of gratitude and faith for good things to come.

Time works in mysterious ways, so let it work its magic. After all, timing is everything.