There are moments in life you wish you could just freeze and live in it for longer if possible. Most of these are moments of pure bliss where everything in that second just feels peaceful and like everything is right, even if it is only for that moment. Then there are the moments as you are leaving one life stage and about to start another and you just need a few more minutes before you have to move on. Finally, there are the last few moments you get to spend with someone before they are gone.
These moments are captured perfectly in Scotty McCreery’s song “Five More Minutes.” Arguably his best song, I knew it would be a favorite of mine before the first verse was even over. The theme of the song is so simple, yet it is one that everyone can relate to. It is often said that you never know the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory. A lot of times this is true, but in life, there are the moments that you realize as they are happening how much they will impact you.
There are the good moments, McCreery describes when he is fishing or with the girl he likes. These are moments of bliss that you just don’t want to end, but you would take five more minutes if you could before you have to go back to reality.
Then there are the bittersweet moments too, he talks about standing on the field he played so many games on for the last time and he knows that next time he’ll have to pay to get into the stadium. A part of life has ended and it hurts to see it gone, but it was also great and you wouldn’t change a second of it, and you just want five more minutes before that part of your life ends and you will have to move on.
Finally, there are the moments you dread, when you have to say goodbye to someone for the final time, McCreery talks about when his grandfather was taking his last breaths and he wanted nothing more than five more minutes with him to say goodbye and everything that has been left unsaid. But you would take five more minutes in a heartbeat since you just don't want them to go and you want to take advantage of every last second you get to spend with them.
These moments, the good, the bad, and the in-between, they influence your life. If in these moments you are lucky enough to know that they are the big moments, chances are you want to hit pause and keep the moment alive for five more minutes. Five more minutes before you have to go back to reality, five more minutes before you know your life will change, or five more minutes before you will never see someone again.
Even though in these moments we want to hit pause, we need to remember that the clock won’t stop, so we need to take advantage of every second of these moments. Five more minutes may not be possible, but listening to this song reminds you of these moments and helps you honor them, which can almost be as good as five more minutes.
