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Rowan Sanan (he/him/his), Low Entropy Volunteer Writer

Time is not infinite. As existential as it is to think about, time is our most precious resource, because once it is spent, it can never be recovered. We can’t control how time passes, but we can control how we spend that time—and who we spend it with.

There have been many moments and aspects of my childhood where the extremely important practice of treasuring the time I’ve had with people has affected my outlook on time to this very day. 

For most of my life, I never lived close to many extended family members. If we wanted to see them, we’d either have to fly to Mexico or travel across several Canadian provinces or American states. This made our fleeting moments with them all that much more important, since it was always possible that it would be the last time we’d see them for another five or more years. When my aunt passed away, I felt this particularly strongly—especially since it took another six years or so to see her husband and my cousins. Family gatherings always include enjoying our time together with an underlying sense of knowing that the time we have to spend together is always shorter than we would like it to be. That is why I cherish those moments with my family and I always ensure that I make time to be present with them, whether that be through eating meals with them or going on fun trips.

Now that my sister and I are in university, I also treasure every moment I get to spend with her when she’s at home. She often stays very busy with schoolwork and other responsibilities, so when she offers me the opportunity to help her out with photography for the plays her club puts on, I jump at the chance. That way, I get to spend time with her and her friends. We recently started a tradition of throwing a New Year’s party with all of our best friends, and we spend a lot of time together planning that. Using these plans to really cherish the time I have with my sister has really helped me cope with her being away from home, and it keeps us connected to each other. I find it extremely important to share laughter and time with friends and loved ones, as it helps to form our lives, creating depth and joy in monotonous days. It truly is a gift, and being present in those moments is important. 

I find that, often, my friends and I are so busy with school, work, projects or other plans that it is hard for us to spend time together without feeling rushed. Sometimes, I will be sitting down and eating lunch with friends, only to be constantly glancing at my schedule to make sure I will still have time to get that one upcoming project done. I worry that I miss out on important moments doing that, constantly thinking about what’s next instead of truly taking the time to put the distractions away and treasure the time I have with my friends. We have yet to work out a proper solution for this, but so far, maintaining patience with each other has helped a ton. After all, taking the time to understand other people is just as important as taking the time to hang out with them and have fun. It makes every moment together something to be celebrated—something that will enrich our lives, rather than just be a passing moment. 

Those passing moments build up, too. Imagine the little moments: tucking a child into bed, sending a good morning text to a friend or holding someone’s hand. These moments are so small, but so important. They are tiny moments in time that build up our connections to each other, and can never truly be recreated. It’s like a musical performance—the sheet music might be the same, but the performers and how they play their instruments aren’t. That is time that is impermanent but profound—even though it never seems like a big deal in the moment. It is at times like those when the idea of being present is especially important. 

Actively choosing to engage with the people around us and focus on the present is difficult sometimes, especially with how many stressors and distractions exist in our lives. Since we can’t quite slow time down or turn it back, we can make a conscious effort to be mindful of the present moment and be empathetic with others. These little moments are reminders that time is fleeting, but also beautiful. It can make the difference between existing and living. 

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Rowan is a university student who loves to write books and poetry, read all kinds of books and spend time with his family and pets.