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In the beginning, there was Time. It split day from night, and divided the year into seasons. Then came man, and created a record of time, calling it a "calendar". From the dawn of history, people have patterned their lives according to time. Time to plant, time to harvest.

Time governs our lives. It begins with our moment of birth. It is an event that will be officially recorded in time. And so it begins before we even know what "Time" is. But what is "Time"? We cannot see it, feel it, smell it and we certainly cannot taste it. And yet it becomes one of the most important aspects of our adult lives.

Time is a measurement of increments of our lives. It helps us decide when to perform certain tasks. Time to go to work, time for our dentist's appointment, time for the important meeting. There are deadlines to meet, people to see, places to go. Time can add pressure and stress to our lives.

Time tells us when certain events take place, such as a birthday or a holiday. We know how much time we will have left to prepare ourselves for these events, and help us manage our lives. Time can be a helpful tool.

Sometimes we don't have enough time to accomplish all our tasks. We allow time to rule our lives, rather than just organize them. We don't always use time wisely or appreciate the time that we do have. Do we "make" time to spend with our spouse, a child, a pet? We never have time, but yet it really isn't anything that is ours.

Our view of "time" is learned, it is not something we are born with it, such as the ability to breathe, or even learn how to walk. A small child does not really have the concept of time. If you watch a toddler go through his or her day, you will find that a toddler has a much more relaxed attitude towards time. They will concentrate on the task at hand, and not how long it will take them to stack their blocks, or how long it takes them to eat those Cheerios. They know when they are tired, but don't necessarily make the connection between day and night, as any parent will attest to.

By the time the child is about 3 years old, the concept of "Time" begins to dawn on him or her. But time is only divided into day and night, yesterday and tomorrow. The idea of past, present and future takes shape, if only vaguely. "Yesterday" can mean just that, the day before, or it can mean 3 weeks ago. There was a 3-year-old once that used to differentiate by stating "Yesterday, a long time ago.".

Kids will always take time to give you a hug and a kiss or to show you a favorite toy. They will take the time and spend it with you. Perhaps we should reflect on this and try to strive to do the same and take time out of our busy lives and spend a little more attention to the people in our lives that we love. Let's use time wisely!

Learn more about this author, Barbara Nuzum.
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