It’s funny how the good days go by so much faster than the bad days. Bad days seem like they will never end, everything is in slow motion. But the good days are over in the blink of an eye.

It feels like just yesterday I was running around the house half naked yelling “I LOVE DORA” at the top of my lungs, and now I am preparing for college. Time sure does fly fast.

I just turned 18, to some that is young, but to me that is old. I have been alive for 18 years. 216 months. 6,700+ days. Over 160,704 hours. Have I made it count? Have I made a difference? Have I loved people the way I should be?

We have all heard parents say “they grow up right before your eyes.” Most of us roll our eyes when they say that. But if we would stop for just one second and take a look back, we would see how true that statement is.

We all have memories of the best day ever. Whether it be a wedding, a trip, a holiday, or even a day spent with friend. For some, that day was last week. But for others, that day was 10, 15, even 20+ years ago. Those days are over in a flash. One minute you are living it up and the next minute you are in bed for the night, or in the car on the way home, or saying goodbye. It feels like it was over too soon.

We also all have bad memories. I remember one day when I was babysitting I cried in the bathroom because children were screaming, fighting, and overall giving me a run for my money. I never thought that day would end. It was one of the longest days I had ever had.

In the end, all days are the same. They all consist of 24 hours. 1,440 minutes. 86,400 seconds. You have 24 hours to make that day worth something.

Every time I have a bad day I look up at the sky and see the most amazing sunset. It is just a reminder to me that every single day we live is a beautiful day. Whether it be a long, rough day, or a short, amazing day. Every day is worth living, and every day counts. We have the chance to make good out of the bad or bad out of the good. We can sit there and cry in a bathroom or we can get up and make every second count.

The days might be long, but life is short. Make those days worth something.