April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.
William Shakespeare
Easter Sunday is early this year, on April 4. Our world may not have greened out by then, but there are definite signs that spring is on the way. The blackbirds are back and noisily announcing their return.
The pandemic has raged for more than a year now. Last spring we wondered if our lives as we knew them would be resumed by now, but alas! we are still in a holding pattern of restrictions: wash your hands frequently, wear a mask, social distance, avoid crowds, and so on. One obvious change is that now vaccinations are being administered determined by age groups, starting with Clinton’s most senior citizens.
As I talk to seniors via telephone I hear a familiar refrain. Time is dragging on. Days are long. People are anxiously awaiting the day when they can once more gather freely with family and friends. We have to continue to follow the protocols and be patient a little longer.
There’s a commercial on TV that uses time as a theme. The word time is repeated over and over, a different meaning emphasized each time, such as “time will tell”, “time moves on”, “time is of the essence”, “there’s no time like the present”, “time out”, “take time to smell the roses”, and so on. Take a moment or two to think about the word time. How many more expressions can you think of?
I came upon the following, and I want to share it with you. It gives us a different perception of time.
TIME IS SO VALUABLE
To realize the value of one year:
Ask a student who has failed a final exam.
To realize the value of one month:
Ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby.
To realize the value of one week:
Ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.
To realize the value of one hour:
Ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.
To realize the value of one minute:
Ask the person who has missed the train, bus, or plane.
To realize the value of one second:
Ask the person who has survived an accident.
To realize the value of one millisecond:
Ask the person who has won a silver medal in the Olympics.
Time waits for no one. Treasure every moment you have. You will treasure it even more when you can share it with someone special: a husband, a wife, a girlfriend, a boyfriend, a son, a daughter, a grandson, a granddaughter, a friend. Today it might mean a telephone call, but take the time to make it.
I’ve been thinking a lot about how I’m spending my time. Am I living each day to the fullest, or am I always looking ahead to what tomorrow might bring? A year ago I resolved to use my time wisely and get things done that had been set aside because I was always so involved with meetings and agendas and activities.
Have I accomplished much in a year? Not really. I know I am going to regret having squandered precious time during this period of inactivity in the community. All the busy-ness of life will start up again, and many of my projects will still remain undone.
That’s not to say I completely wasted a year. It just shows me that too often I procrastinated and said “I’ll do it tomorrow” and tomorrow never came. I filled those hours doing things I preferred to do, like knitting and reading, instead of doing things I should have done, like genealogy projects, organizing photo albums, sewing, housework, etc. That’s not all bad. However, these projects remain, and I really should get them done. I know I have more years behind me than ahead, and it’s a matter of prioritizing. There are never enough hours in my days.
Maybe if time lags for you and your days seem long, you could try a new activity. If you like it and are doing it okay, you too may say “time flies”.
Have you checked out the building site recently? Windows are in and roof shingles are going on. It’s looking good!
Unfortunately, there are no group gatherings for seniors yet.
Thank you to the Clinton Seniors’ Association members who have forwarded their membership fees. All others please send them to Zee Chevalier, P.O. Box 248, Clinton. Expenses go on, even if fundraising efforts have ceased.
Happy Birthday greetings to Gloria Ferguson (April 17), Laura Turner (April 18), and Loretta Ferguson (April 20).
”The trick to adjusting to a life you never expected is to allow yourself to have the emotions, to weave them in with the positives, and move on. Take what you can use and let the rest go by. The dreams of yesterday are the hopes of today and the realities of tomorrow.”
editorial@accjournal.ca
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