What is the one thing the world revolves around? Day, night…Summer, winter….noon, midnight. Can you imagine the world without time? Time is the one thing that keeps us organized, tells us what to do, and when to do it. I believe that time is more valuable then anything.

Three o’clock. That was the time our flight was scheduled to leave the airport in Milwaukee. By the time we figured in the traffic, luggage, and security procedures, Dad assumed that we should leave Uncle Randy’s at about two. Turns out, the thing Dad didn’t factor in was the wreck that backed up traffic as far as the eye could see. Contemplating weather walking to the air port would have been faster; we sat in the taxi and impatiently listened to the seconds tick on Dad’s watch. We reached the air port at 2:54. A long shot to make the flight; we darted through the crowds of tourist searching for our boarding area. The clock struck three. We missed our flight. There I was, my dad and brother next to me, wondering why the plain couldn’t wait an extra five minutes. Time is so precious and in a matter of seconds, it can throw your whole day off.

People can view time in many different ways. Last year, my best friend, Jim, and I got in a huge argument. I am a firm believer in the theory of Global Warming. Apparently, Jim sees it differently, and he is entitled to his opinion, but so am I. One day, we were having a discussion about the subject. We were giving reasons and supporting our opinions until he told me that my opinion was wrong and that I was stupid. I took offense to that, as you could imagine. We didn’t speak to each other for two weeks. Those two weeks apart may have started bitter, but I started to miss my friend after a while. The more time apart made it easier to forget the past and so I talked to him about it. This situation really made me realize that time really does heal all wounds and the more time you give the situation, the better it will turn out.

When you think about it, the time you have on earth is very short and goes very fast. When I was nine, on Christmas Eve, my mom was informed that her dad, my grandpa was dying quickly. We shuttled up to Cincinnati so we could spend as much time with him as we possibly could. He was in his late 80’s and had Alzheimer’s. When I saw him for the last time, it saddened me. Not only because one of my close relatives was on the verge of death, but also because I didn’t really get to spend much time with him. He died that night and we spend Christmas grieving more then celebrating. Now, I cherish every minute I spend with my loved ones because I know that at any minute, they can be gone forever.

Time on Earth is too short to be taken for granted. Many people don’t think about it, but life is so short and you should value every second. The way you value your time will dictate how you live your life. So remember, time flies away quickly, so don’t waste a second of it.