Time, time, time… What would be your definition of time? Or better yet, do you really know the value of your time or how important it is in your life? Indeed, every day I discover and rediscover how precious a second is. However, since it is not something tangible or physical or that we can put a figure or an ‘important label’ on like those things we aspire to conquer, its importance, meaning, and power for us is still undeniable and incalculable. Its power and influence in nature blow like the wind in the cycle of everything that lives and, above all, in the course and rhythm of our existences. In short, one of the greatest certainties that we fortunately or unfortunately learn about time is that it is something that never allows us to go back, which makes it even more valuable and unique. People, one of the greatest marks of time in my life was that for a fraction of a second I escaped with my life from the collapse of the WTC buildings during the terrorist attack that shook the USA and certainly marked the world forever. A second in the universe of time can be worth an eternity… do we sometimes not value every second?
And even in popular sayings, we hear phrases like: ‘Ah, time heals all!’ Or: ‘You will know the truth in time!’ Taking into account some of these popular sayings, the unknown is even greater, as we never know how much time we have left. Viewed from this perspective, time is a privilege, which we must be grateful for, and ‘to navigate is necessary’, as the poet Fernando Pessoa once said. The thread of time comes filled with emotions, love, pain, even anger, flavors, and sensations stitched together with discoveries and lessons. Some learn and value it earlier than others. Others get lost along the way and unfortunately never learn its due value.
I personally learned and learn daily to value it and, as a consequence or as a lesson or however it may be named, to cherish it with gratitude. I also learned that by appreciating my time, defining my priorities, and my physical and mental health, I can see my life and the steps I take more clearly. Even more so after so much ‘time’, or rather, years that I suffered from traumas and health problems in general. Over time, I have been adding and assimilating different concepts, different flavors, and profound life experiences, including losses. And with that, I give even greater value to it and celebrate the love of life with a sweetener called kindness, a touch of the power of healing and the strength of a smile.
So folks, taking advantage of this valuable little time we are sharing together, without so many delays about theories and details, once again, I mention that the chronicles and thoughts I share here with you are from someone who has gone through strong and very traumatic situations and I speak based on experiences of having survived a tragedy of tremendous magnitude, where many unfortunately did not have the same gift that I had. The value that today more than ever I give to life, the love I have for life and my time in particular is inexplicable. At no point is it my intention to share only sufferings, but rather what I have learned from them and how we can, indeed, overcome them and see life positively, following the current of hope for a better and fairer world. The passage of time has shown me that those fanatic terrorists did deeply affect my physical, emotional state, and professional career. Still, it was during this process that I am mentioning that I discovered that they did not completely destroy me, that they could not touch my soul and my essence, for my inner strength and my faith are greater than any terrorist act. And time helped me to further refine my faith, making me a stronger person. And today, as a result, came this determination to write and share my experiences and, who knows, help someone’s future.
I don’t remember where, but I read somewhere a phrase that left me thoughtful and made me write and reflect, the phrase goes something like this: ‘Nowadays the world sets the price of everything, but we do not understand the value of the things we really need to understand…’
So don’t let the popular expressions we know catch you by surprise. Savor and value your time. That said, may life gift you with wonderful time and a legacy, and may you assimilate the value of every second of existence! And thank you for your time.
ADRIANA MALUENDAS
Author & Writer
www.alemdasexplosoes.com.br