7:24 p.m. Friday night. July 7, 2016. This specific moment in time exists for only 60 seconds before it is gone forever, never to be relived again. 60 fleeting seconds. It is now 7:25 p.m. 60 irreplaceable seconds have just ceased to exist. What once was, is no more, and in its place now stands a new moment that begs to be cherished, to be lived. What will be experienced in this new second? Who will be loved during it? How much will be said?

I do not believe many people view time in this context. In my experience, people view time as simply a concept. To them, time is endless, promised and expected. I am not one of those people. Maybe it is due to my unforgiving and relentless anxiety, but I cannot bring myself to see time in this light. I fear the loss of time because I understand how it can expire without warning, without justification. To me, humans tend to believe they are immune to the suffering of an early fate at the hands of time. Speeding, drunk driving, and daredevil acts all occur because of this belief. No one believes that his/her time on earth will run out; it's promised. It is only when one's time is cut short that time becomes more than just a concept. Time becomes real, it becomes threatening.

I live in fear of that fate daily, and often become alarmed when I realize how little control I have over this world and my life. Although my constant anxiety is a cross I must bare, I do strangely praise its ability to strip me of such human ignorance. I do not believe that time bends to any man. In fact, I must say that I am grateful I fear time because I can honestly say that I live each day like it is my last. Admittedly, such a behavior is morbid, but come the end of each day, I can confidently say that I left no word left unsaid, no hug left ungiven, and no "I love you" unspoken. In my eyes, it is the little things in life that are the most important. These tiny, insignificant moments, as too many perceive them to be, are the very moments I remind myself to cherish and remember. Like time, little things have a way of passing far faster than ever initially anticipated.

As I have grown and matured, it has started to break my heart watching so many people constantly take for granted life’s little moments. Too many times have I seen men and women being ignored on dates while their partner is playing on his or her phone. Too many times have I seen businessmen take a call from work right before their son is up to bat at his little league game. And too many times have I watched as people leave home for the day without saying goodbye or kiss each other. Unfortunately, numerous external factors hinder an individual’s ability to see or appreciate the little things anymore. Whether such forces are a career, social media, a game, or maybe even a lack of interest, the same result holds true; precious life moments have been lost, and dare I say, wasted.

For a moment, imagine a eulogy or obituary that you have previously heard or read in the newspaper. How is the deceased spoken of? Was he or she spoken of in terms of his or her financial success or gain? Were his or her long hours spent at work praised? No, I have yet to hear such a eulogy myself. The deceased is not spoken of in such terms for the sole reason that those “qualities” are artificial and meaningless. Life was never meant to be lived for the sole purpose of creating a successful career or owning as many luxury goods as possible. If that was the purpose to life, why then did God give each of us the gift of family, friends and a community when work and financial gain requires none of those? God never wanted our focus to revolve around financial success and gain. He wanted our attention to be spent on those placed in our lives, creating precious moments together, cherishing the little things. This is why the deceased is spoken of through cherished memories and stories shared by his or her family, friends and community. Such memories and stories can only be created through personal, intimate interactions with others formed while enjoying life’s little pleasures and moments together. Those spoken of in this light during a eulogy or obituary have mastered the true purpose of life, and have successfully created a meaningful existence with those surrounding them. Life was truly lived to the fullest by this man or woman. He or she didn’t take for granted a moment of his/her time spent on this earth, and he or she certainly made sure to express his/her love to each family member, friend, or community member. Life and its little moments were thoroughly cherished.

Nothing is more accurate than the saying that life is too short. For this reason, it is time for us to stop pretending time is just a concept, and get out there and live like we are dying. The people presently in your life are not going to be there forever. Do not waste the moments you have left with them. Things can change within an instant, so be sure that each kiss, hug, smile, laugh and "I love you" shared with them is enjoyed, memorized, and adored. Do not lose out on such priceless moments because you feel that these moments will come again. They may not. A career is important, money is important, social media is cool, but if today was your last day, would those things have been worth the loss of one more special moment enjoyed with your family or friends? If I could tell society one thing, it would be to remember and cherish the conversations enjoyed around the table during family sit-down dinner, every kind word or piece of advice given to you from those around you, the feelings of success, failure, love, and hope, the various beautiful landscapes of the world, and most importantly, to remember and cherish your life.

It is now 8:30pm. I have just spent my fleeting moments trying to encourage you to cherish the little things in life. Now, I am off to go hug my boyfriend, text my friends, and call home to tell everyone I love them. To me, I have used my God given minutes wisely. Have you?