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puzzle pieces

Monday, December 20, 2010

Where does it go?

Time is what prevents everything from happening at once.  ~John Archibald Wheeler

I was sitting down at the table with my kids the other morning, and upon looking at the clock I exclaimed how fast the time just went!
One of my boys' innocently asked, 
"Where does time go after it ticks?"
~~~~
A question full of answers~
but none that can be put into words.
~
A time museum would be nice.
Bottling the seconds and minutes would be lovely~ especially if we could use them up once again.
But instead,  the tick of the never-ending clock continues
and there is no reverting back.
~~~
Time is the most undefinable yet paradoxical of things; the past is gone, the future is not come, and the present becomes the past even while we attempt to define it, and, like the flash of lightning, at once exists and expires. 
 ~Charles Caleb Colton


Time is not something one can define.
For sure~~~ we can lament that there isn't enough of it.
We can use it (or not) wisely.
We can count it down or reminisce it's moments.


There is one kind of robber whom the law does not strike at, and who steals what is most precious to men:  time.  ~Napoleon I, Maxims, 1815


Time can bring us many things.
Beauty.
Longing.
Sadness.
Heartache.
Joy.
Breathtaking moments.
Love.


For the most part~ we are captains of our time.
Choosing how each moment will be spent.

Other times~~~
 time takes us places we don't want to be, but go because it takes us.
Time captives.


Time goes, you say?  Ah no!
Alas, Time stays, we go.
~Henry Austin Dobson


Time allows us to become who we are to be.
And enjoy the moments we are blessed with.
Time is a gift.~A great gift.


Time! the corrector when our judgments err.  ~Lord Byron


TIME.
Can be laughter.
And so full of beauty.


How long a minute is, depends on which side of the bathroom door you're on.  
~Zall's Second Law

~(I had to throw this one in~ there is that matter of being 
just a tad too serious with your time:)~


But regardless of how one views time and where it goes,
it comes and passes with one tick of the clock.


The Future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of sixty minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is.  ~C.S. Lewis


But what minutes!  Count them by sensation, and not by calendars, and each moment is a day.  
~Benjamin Disraeli



How will you spend your time today?
~~~~

31 comments:

Michelle said...

The older I get the faster it goes. I have heard people say that before, but now I know it is so true! It goes by so fast!

Hilary said...

Oh your beautiful photos.. and your beautiful son with that wonderful question.

Abigail Jasmine said...

I LOVED visiting here!
Thank you!
X

Allison said...

What great thoughts, Dawn!

And your pictures are so peaceful and lovely. Are all those taken in Alberta? I wouldn't mind spending some of my time in a field or two you've shown here. :D xoxo (I'm in love with wide open spaces, you know, and you've captured them perfectly here!! I love the sunset on the field).

Anonymous said...

A time museum would be nice.
Bottling the seconds and minutes would be lovely~ especially if we could use them up once again.....What wonderful and original words!!..Very nice!!
The photos are stunning!

~*~ saskia ~*~ said...

Great great post, dear Dawn. Your son asking where does time go after it ticks, made me smile. Especially your last 2 pictures are awesome!
Today we'll try for the second time to bake a gingerbread house. Yesterday was no success ;(
Enjoy this last week before Christmastime.xxxx

Guido said...

great post. today my family and I try to buy a christmas tree. I know a little late but during these days time is running.

Anonymous said...

Do you know I do not wear a watch? Nope.. I check the cell or ask if I need to know the time..Living by time is too draining..I try to use each minute (I said Try..ha!) as a positive, worthy moment in my life..

Going to keep working on that.. Great post Miss Dawn, and the barn really will be fine!!!

Nancy said...

I don't think I was so aware of how fast time passes until I turned 50 this year. I suppose how fast it goes depends on whether you are enjoying what you are doing and don't want it to be over so quickly.

Your son came up with a very thoughtful question -- he must take after his dear mother. :)

Evie said...

time really is an interesting topic... its something we measure by seconds, mins, hours, days, years... and it goes on and on, no stopping it! (ohh, except when joshua asked God to make the sun stand still... and it did!)

my dad once said the most special gift someone can give another is their time. great post!

Jayne said...

I really want to be more conscious of how I spend my time this coming year. I want each second to count and be aware of it with each breath. Lovely post Dawn.

Sage said...

Answer: tock... Your photos are so beautiful. I'm always drawn to the ones of a road or a path (or river) that draws our eyes off into the possibilities ahead. Good quotes, too. And I like the photo of backpacks on the mountain in your sidebar!

Lynette Jacobs said...

They say that life is like a toilet roll...the closer you come to the end the quicker it goes...the same can probably be said of time.

Remember to enjoy this precious time of the year...and remember to breathe.

TexWisGirl said...

I agree with Nancy - you're raising your kids to be thought-provoking souls. :)

And I liked Lynette's analogy of the toilet paper roll. So true.

Dearie, you inspire us every day with your words, your view of the world, and your pictures. :)

Paul C said...

I love that Disraeli quote about sensations and moments. I am trying to cherish each moment as they come. (I have added you to my blog roll. All the best.)

Unknown said...

A perfect sentiment during this hectic season, and beautifully expressed.

~Andrea~

Leah J. Utas said...

Beautiful and thought provoking.

Evie said...

hey! thanks for your awesome encouragement on my last post! {i was little nervous a/b posting it... political correctness and all :D}

and a Merry Christmas to you friend!

Bobbie said...

Nice! And it's true that the older we get, the faster time flies by. This moment is here but once... and then it's gone. Thanks for reminder...

Lisa @ Two Bears Farm said...

It does go fast. How I'll spend my time today? Washing cloth diapers, shuttling Pierce to preschool, cooking lunch and dinner, blogging. Got in a 6 mile run early (due to insomnia) and will finish off the day like always - with an hour of reading. :-)

Anonymous said...

Love your landscape photos especially the one with the road leading to a mysterious end ;)

Barbie said...

That was such a deep post Dawn.We are all so busy rushing around that we forget to really take in every precious second, minute, hour as though it were our last - absorbing every smell, taste, sound, feeling as though they were about to become no more. Thankyou for all your insightful posts, and making me stop to "smell the roses"

Sem Nome said...

Dear Dawn! I always love reading your texts!!! Inspiring and well writen!
I wish you and your family the best Xmas ever!!! Much fun, Joy and peace!!! Love!!! Bela

Judy said...

What a wonderful question. Beautiful photos to go with beautiful thoughts. Have a very Merry Christmas!

Farm Girl said...

You know I just love the way you think. You make me stop and ponder and that picture of the road, just gets to me the loneliness of it. You live on the prairie don't you? Did you ever read about the woman that lived on the prairies and how they loved their canaries? I bet you have lots of time to think and listen to the silence. I loved that your son wanted to know where the time went after it ticks. My son wanted to know where does the light go when you turn out the light?
I always ponder those things because I never can come up with a satisfactory answer.
So glad you took all of those pictures and you have all of those sayings. They minister to my soul.

floweringmama said...

I really enjoyed this post. The older I get, the faster time passes. My children ask their innocent children questions and I in my ignorance can only do my best to answer them.

Since time cannot be bottled, we can only do what we can do make it last as long as possible.

Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Melissa A said...

Awww, time, wish I had more of it lately when schedules seem compressed. Love C.S. Lewis quote. Makes me think of what I always tell my husband. We are all the same. We can only live in one room at a time and only wear one outfit at a time. We really don't need all that we have. Although I'm really telling myself this out loud because I always want more of what I don't have. It's a never ending battle. Thanks for visiting me today Dawn. You made me smile and made my day. :)

Southern Lady said...

Thanks for coming over to visit my blog. Your sweet comments made my day. I just now found a moment to come over to meet you. I just love your blog. I can't wait to read more! It is so nice to meet you! Carla

Rick said...

Great post Dawn ! Reminded me of something I read years ago ...

"The Bird of Time has but a little way
To flutter--and the Bird is on the Wing."

from The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam.

I love all those photos - had to pause for each. And the quotes were so insightful.

Simple Home said...

Beautiful insights and images on *time* :-) I loved your snow photos from the previous post too.
Have a wonderful Christmas!
Blessings,
Marcia

What Karen Sees said...

What a great post, with a lot to think about. A often have to evaluate what I am doing with my time. Am I wasting it or using it wisely?