Speech OO

Madonna once said, “Time goes by. So slowly.” She lied. When someone mentions that the year 2020 was five years ago, I find it hard to fathom where all that time went. It certainly doesn’t feel like five years have gone by since the start of the COVID lockdowns. What have I been doing with my life during all that time? Five years is a long span, and yet, I still feel like the same person. I’m a senior this year, and I’m being told time will only go by faster and faster the older I get. It already feels like it’s passing me by, and all I can do is watch. But there’s an inherent beauty about time passing. Time allows us to grow, change, and evolve to be the best we can be—for others, and especially for ourselves.

A.A Milne, author of Whinne the Phoo states Today is a gift, the past is history, the future is a mystery, and our stories will eventually unfold. I want to use this mantra as a source of motivation to live our lives to their fullest extent— to stop dwelling on the past, and to look forward to the future with open arms, and to live in the present, unafraid of what is to come.

The more I think about this, the more I realize how much time I’ve taken for granted. When I was younger, I thought I had all the time in the world. My grandma was 58 and she could still get around fairly decent, but now she’s 74 and struggles to even get in and out of a car without the assistance of my Grandpa. I haven’t stayed the night at their house in 8 years, and that’s a natural part of growing up. Most people don’t stay the night at their grandparents house forever. But I didn’t fully appreciate how quickly it would all pass. I took for granted the time spent with them, the moments with them, and even the seemingly mundane days of just going through the motions of eating lunch with them, or watching my grandpas old westerns. It wasn’t until I started thinking about the little things like those memories—the quiet moments that make up our lives—that I realized how much they truly matter and how time is the reason these memories are special.

We all have these quiet moments, these ordinary slices of time, that pass unnoticed because we’re waiting for something “bigger” to come along. But sometimes, it’s in those moments, the ones that seem small and unimportant, that we find the greatest beauty. It’s the lazy Sunday mornings spent reading a book, the laughter shared over dinner with family, or those late-night conversations with friends that make you feel like the world has slowed down for just a bit. These are the moments we should cherish the most because they define who we are, not the grand achievements or the milestones, but the small decisions that we make every single day 

One of the things I’ve learned as I’ve gotten older is that time doesn’t just shape us physically; it shapes us emotionally and mentally as well. When I was younger, I thought time was a given. But now, as I’m nearing the end of my time in high school, I realize just how quickly these years have flown by. And what’s even more startling is how fast the next phase of life is coming—college, adulthood. These are all things I’ve thought about for so long, but now, they’re right around the corner. I can feel the weight of time pressing against me, and I can’t help but wonder if I’ve truly made the most of it.

But here’s the thing: it’s not about being perfect. It’s about being present. Time doesn’t demand perfection from us. It doesn’t require us to get everything right. What time asks of us is simply to be fully here, in the moment, wherever we are. The more we embrace the present, the more we will realize that there is so much beauty and possibility within each passing moment.

This leads me to something I believe is essential to understanding time: the importance of living without regret. We often waste so much time worrying about the past or fearing the future. We hold on to regrets and mistakes, thinking that they define us, but the truth is, they don’t. Our past is behind us, and our future is uncertain. The only thing we truly have is the present. And if we can learn to let go of the things we cannot change and focus on what we can control—right here, right now—we will unlock the ability to live fully and without hesitation.

This is why I think time is so beautiful. It’s a reminder that nothing lasts forever. The good, the bad, the mundane—it all passes. And in that passing, we are constantly being given new opportunities. The trick is to recognize them, to embrace them, and to make the most of them. No matter how old we are, no matter how much time has already passed, we can always choose to start fresh.

It’s easy to look back on time with regret, to wish we had done things differently, or to feel like we’ve wasted time. But we must remember that time is not something to be measured in hours or days alone—it’s measured in the way we live. It’s measured in the moments we choose to seize, in the people we choose to love, in the experiences we choose to have. It’s measured in how present we are in the world around us.

Time, in many ways, is both our greatest asset and our most cruel adversary. It’s fleeting, unpredictable, and impossible to control. One moment, we’re children, carefree and filled with dreams, and the next, we find ourselves looking back, wondering where the time has gone. Time is relentless, unyielding in its pace, yet it also has this magical power to transform us.

Think about how many moments pass us by in the blink of an eye, and yet each moment is an opportunity. Every second is a chance to create a memory, to experience something new, to grow in a way we never imagined.  Like when your mom makes you go to the store with them even though you really don’t want to, and ends up being a great time. We often think of time as something to be spent or wasted, but in reality, it’s something to be cherished. Every minute that ticks away is a brushstroke on the canvas of our lives.

It’s easy to think that time is something we control, but it’s not. Even when we are using it to the best of our abilities we still aren’t in control of it. It doesn’t wait for us to catch up. It keeps going, whether we’re ready or not. We don’t always realize how much time we have until it feels like it’s slipping through our fingers. Take a moment to think back on the past week. What stands out to you? Was there something you did that you wish you had done differently? Or maybe there was a moment you let pass by without fully appreciating it? Did you live in the moment? The truth is, we often spend so much of our time caught up in the rush of life that we forget to really live. We’re distracted by deadlines, goals, tasks, and obligations, and in doing so, we miss out on the beauty of the present. Time is a resource, just like money or energy, and if we waste it, we can’t get it back.

But here’s the thing: it’s never too late to start living more intentionally. We may not be able to control the flow of time, but we can control how we spend it. Time is always moving forward, but we have the ability to choose how we show up in each moment. We can choose to savor it, to engage with it, to appreciate the simple beauty of just being alive.

But how often do we really appreciate them when they happen? I think we’re all guilty of living life in cut time. We’re constantly rushing from one thing to the next, caught up in what we need to do, what we want to accomplish, or what’s coming next. And in doing so, we miss the beauty of just being in the moment. Time doesn’t pause for us to catch our breath, to look around and appreciate what we have. But maybe that’s the point—maybe time is a reminder that we can’t take anything for granted. We can’t waste a single moment.

The next time you feel like time is slipping away from you, take a step back and breathe. Remind yourself that you are alive, and this moment is a gift. There will be times when you feel like you’re not where you want to be, but know this: time is always moving, and so are you. It’s never too late to choose how you want to spend your time. You have the power to shape the present and the future, to make every second count.

We have all the time we need, if only we choose to embrace it. So, let’s make a pact with ourselves to stop running from time. Instead, let’s start living in it, cherishing it, and using it to its fullest potential. We don’t know what tomorrow holds, but we can be sure that every moment counts. Every day is a chance to create something meaningful, to make a difference, to be present, and to love. And when time moves quickly—faster than we can keep up with—we will know we’ve made the most of it.

Remember: today is a gift, the past is history, and the future is a mystery. The story of your life is unfolding right now, so let’s make sure it’s one we can look back on with pride. Let's live our lives in a way that makes every second matter.