“Where did the time go?” That seems to be the most common expression shared between my better half and me.
And only a few short years ago I would burn a half hour per week of my bachelor life trying to save 2 bucks on a tank full of gas at the local Costco! My married buddies had moved beyond scratching their scalps trying to figure out the religious zeal with which a single man would visit Costco. Well, it was either going to Costco--be in the real world, or watch SportsCenter reruns. Right! I picked real world experiences--Costco.
So fast forward 6 years, and here I’m surrounded by 3 women 24/7. The arrival of my better half 5 years ago changed the dynamics of me and time. Our whole relationship was defined by a single moment when that gorgeous, sweet yet ‘tired’ fiancee of mine said, “Babe, there is never a right time”. That was my aha moment as I grabbed myself by the collar and jumped wholeheartedly into this beautiful whirlpool of life.
Life. I not only got married but we have two beautiful girls and started a business of our own. All in the span of 5 years. Time now is super scarce.
The trips to Costco are strictly once a week with a tight list of items and a stipulated time for that venture. I still wait at the Costco gas station but the best part is that I’m accompanied by my 2- year-young daughter, who asks me--repeatedly--to play ‘moon song’ (24k magic) by Bruno Mars. Oh, and if I intentionally/mistakenly play my favorite by Barry Manilow, those in cars near ours try to figure out where the shrill screams of a toddler are coming from. Life.
Yes, life has changed. Time is not passing by, it’s flying by. We still remember the very moment when we strapped our firstborn in a car seat while bringing her home from the hospital. And now she tests her shrill Mariah Carey vocal cords when she doesn’t get her way. Life. And the younger one, who turned one last week, thinks she is the same age as her older sister and therefore only eats food on her own. Note: she doesn’t have a single tooth. It’s like they are growing up so fast on us. When did all this happen? My better half and I share a stare until one of us blurts out “We did this!”
Time sure is flying by. The golden moments never end. There are very few times we get to replay those moments in our head before we must wake up to life with Mariah Carey shrills or needing to change a diaper.
So nope, you don’t pause time. You just savor each moment of it. Let the time fly by, for I like to sing, “Tiiiiime is on my side.. YES IT IS!”.