// dear time...//

Dear Time,

You are a sneaky little bastard! Some days, you make me sad, and others, you make me happy. This bipolar extremes vary, not only per day, but also per hour. Let me explain...

On Mondays, it is pretty much guaranteed that a co-worker, student, and I will turn to each other and say, "Is it Friday, yet?!" A fresh week is upon us and we are already mourning the loss of the weekend. Mondays are nothing but mundane, yet full of a rush of the hours ticking by as tiny, neat boxes get checked off my fresh 'to-do' list for the week. My penmanship is still neat and the list appears organized and goal-oriented. I am usually exhausted, because, weekend, duh. If anything goes wrong, it is an unspoken rule to forgive it with the "it's Monday" excuse...By Tuesday, I am wondering if it's actually Thursday; my to-do list grows as other boxes get checked off. By Wednesday, everyone is making 'hump-day' references and trying to get through the latter part of the week. Then Thursday comes around and my list is now messy, with a million add-ons, crossed out items, and little arrows depicted what should have happened and last minute appeals to get there. Then Friday...oh Friday. How you are loved. You bring hopes of the weekend (unless I have to work). You are the glimmer of hope and lessened expectations. You have taught me to add the unchecked boxes to next week's agenda, and just breathe easier.

Then the weekend is here! Hallelujah! Now, Time, you get me good. You remind me that you go by faster than you should. My baby is growing, learning new things every day. Showing me that he is entering toddlerhood in full force, without letting me hold onto that babyness that I yearn for. With every milestone he reaches, we celebrate his accomplishment; yet it tugs at our hearts because we know that we will never get back the day or moment before the present. Sure, we have our memories, but we don't get ample time to relish in his tinyhood. You tricky bastard, you. The long days and nights of worry, frustration, incessant crying, that I wished would fast-forward...you got me, you got me good. Just like those Monday mornings that I wish would speed up, I realize now that I am also speeding up everything else in my life. You remind me that I have to catch up with my friends that I haven't gotten the chance to talk to all week! You remind me to hang out with my husband. To date him. You remind me that life is, indeed, too short. Cliche, if you will, but true, nonetheless. & my internal clock, tells me to hurry up and do it all, because before I know it, it's Sunday and it's time for the chores and prep for the week to start all over again.

Ah, Time. One moment I am wishing you would hurry up, the other I am pleading for you to slow down. Where has the time gone? Am I taking advantage of you? Am I relishing in the moments I realize I need to appreciate what you give me? Regardless, I am grateful for you.