Everyone says it: as you get older, time flies faster. It was something that I never really understood until it started happening to me. I honestly feel as though I blinked and my sophomore year at Elon came to an end. It feels like just yesterday that it was August and I was packing up my car and making the nine-hour drive down to school.
As time seems to be passing me by at the speed of lightning, I have truly realized that I need to stop and enjoy the small moments that could easily get forgotten if I don’t take the time to cherish them. Everyone in my family is getting older. My friends are embarking on new journeys like graduating from college and entering the real world. I know that someday very soon I’ll be in their same position.
When I look back on my life and my adventures thus far, it amazes me what memories stand out from others. While the big milestones and events are obvious, I’m surprised when I think about how powerful and impactful the little things have been. I would even go as far as to say that the smaller and seemingly insignificant events are the ones that have most defined and shaped the person that I am today.
One of my favorite memories, for example, was when my cousins and I would have sleepovers at my Grandparents' house. Every morning my grandpa, Poppi, would wake up and one of us got to go with him to Dunkin' Donuts to get coffee and donuts for breakfast. It was a rule that you had to go in your pajamas, and whoever went was eligible to get a “bonus donut.” Just for accompanying him into town and helping him bring breakfast back to the house, you got to choose an extra donut to eat on your ride back -- a treat we all enjoyed. Much to my Grandma’s dismay, my Grandpa would stop at the top of the driveway on our way back (which at the time felt 10 miles long) and let you stick your head out the sunroof as he sped down to the garage. We all laughed with joy as the wind ran through our hair and we felt the sun beaming down on us. At the time, I didn’t think that those morning memories would be the ones that stood out to me. I figured the bigger events like Christmas dinners, Broadway shows and family reunions would be the events that I would reminisce on. While those certainly are memories that I love, I know I will always hold the smaller moments closer to my heart.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I am much better at remembering the little things from my childhood, compared to my teenage and young adult years. Technology, in my opinion, is a huge distraction. In a world where social media can be overwhelming and prevent us from enjoying and appreciating the little memories, I want to challenge myself, and others, to take a step back and just think about how these tiny moments are the ones that can help to set our future. When I was little, I used to think that time was infinite and that there would always be “more time” to do things. I know now that the opposite is true, and it makes me want to appreciate the little things more than I ever have before.
