Why can’t we stop time? This a question that I have asked myself time and time again when I think back throughout the 20 years of my life. There are parts of my childhood that I was too young to remember, that have lived on with me through stories shared with me by family. Then, there are the moments I remember when I dreamed of my future self. I dreamed of one day going to college, studying the world, and getting a degree. Eventually, I would have a big girl job and a house. I recently turned 20, I am in my second year of college, and next semester, I am preparing to study abroad in England. With all of the exciting changes in my life, it still feels like it was yesterday that I was that young girl dreaming about these milestones, but I was not ready for how fast the time would pass.
I remember as a child being told things like “enjoy your youth,” “time is going to fly,” and “college is going to go so fast,” especially when I entered high school, I was warned about not enjoying every moment. I always nodded my head and pretended to listen, innocently thinking about what came next while not always appreciating what I had in front of me. Besides the fast pace of life, no one prepared me for how hard it was going to be to watch loved ones grow up also. I am an older sister, and my brother is a senior in high school, and watching him grow up and experience college acceptances and other senior activities has also been bittersweet. At the same time, watching my grandparents and parents age as well has been difficult, but there is nothing that we can do to stop time.
As I mentioned, as a kid, I sometimes felt like time passed so slowly. I would dream about being in college and being a grown-up. Yet, at a certain point, it seems like the things that I used to dream about have started to happen, and time has started to slow down. Therefore, it was hard for me to process why everything was changing so fast. I am at a point in my life where I am enjoying college, and experiencing new things, but it sometimes I cannot help but reminisce about my childhood and the person I used to be. The “she lives in me,” trend on Tik Tok has also made me reflect on how much my life has changed in the past several years.
Oftentimes I imagine what life would be like if I had an endless amount of time. It seems like there is so much to do and so little time. Not just big things like aging, or family growing old, but sometimes it is the smallest things, like doing an assignment, or a project that I feel I do not have enough time for. We are all busy with our schedules, college, and work impact but sometimes it is important just to take a look back on how far we have come and how much we have yet to go. Therefore, remember sometimes time works against you, so appreciate it, and maybe time will slow down for you <3.