Where Has the Time Gone?

One of my favorite memories of childhood is going to Grandmother's house and seeing her clock that sat on the shelf.  It was one of those old kinds that had to be wound every day or so.  I loved watching the pendulum swing back and forth and hearing the distinctive tick - tock - tick - tock.  When the house was quiet, you could hear that ticking nearly all over the house.  It was reassuring... measuring out the moments with precision and clarity... marking the hours with the loud BONG - BONG... one for each hour, and a single one on the half hour.  I loved that old clock.  

Back when I was a kid, I remember the hot summer days being long, and summer vacation lasting what seemed like forever. I remember long days of play, exploring the woods behind the house, birthday parties, camping out in the yard, the excitement leading up to Christmas, and helping Mom, Dad, and my Grandparents with summer chores. It's funny what tidbits you remember when thinking back... But nothing makes me wonder about reality more than the perception of passing time at the various stages of my life.

As a young child, my only perception of time was Mom telling me it was 

  time to get up,
    time to leave for school, 

      hurry or you'll miss the bus,
        wait just a minute young lady, or 

          time to brush your teeth & get ready for bed. 

It was always time to do something, or get ready to do something. 

It was Mom's job to keep us on task and on time. 

  (Bless her heart!)

As I got older, more and more each year,  it became my task to 

  watch time, 

    to be on time, 

      to wait for the right time, 

        or to take the time. 

I became the timekeeper. 

Gradually I became good at it and was on time, every time, all the time... 

  well, most of the time.

Then I became the Mom, one of my jobs was to teach my children about 

  being on time, 

    taking the time, 

      and waiting for the right time. 

I read to them about "Once upon a time"... 

It was during this time 

  that I began to notice that time was passing faster. 

Often there wouldn't be enough time, 

  and things would have to wait until some other time... 

    hopefully until a time in the not too distant future... 

      banking on the fact that there would somehow be more time in the near future.  

The more I banked on having that future time, 

   the faster time seemed to pass.

Nowadays, with the kids all out on their own, I often find myself wondering 

  where the time has gone, 

    why I didn't take the time, 

      if I'll ever have the time, 

        and waiting for the next time. 

I look at my watch to see if it's time yet, 

  the calendar to make sure I don't miss the right time, 

    and the announcements on Sunday Morning to make sure I've noted the right time. 

I listen for chimes on my phone to remind me of the right time, 

  often hurrying so I can be on time.

Time after time!

Rare is it that I have spare time, or time to kill, 

  but I sure would like to put time in a bottle sometimes,

    or turn back the hands of time. 

Time marches on... and we with it!  

You can't go back in time, though we often wish we could. 

You can't go forward in time, but we would if we could sometimes.

It's that constant cadence that accompanies us through life itself... from birth to death, we step to it's beat... ever going forward one brief moment at a time. As we age, our perception of it changes, but the tick-tock maintains it's steady rhythm.  It's us that changes... not the ticking off of the seconds, and minutes, and hours.  

Our lives get busy and we 

  lose track of time.... 

    forget to watch the time....  

      and sometimes feel like we've been through a time warp.

Oh my goodness!  Would you look at the time.......................................................