As people, it is common to feel that we never have enough time on our hands, when sometimes we have more time than we know what to do with. However, time is often viewed as a resource meant for everyday use, similar to the gasoline in a car or the electricity that powers lights. While this is certainly one way to use time, time has other, deeper purposes. Time is a tool, a way to bond with others, and a medicine. For these reasons and many more, I am truly thankful for time.

Time separates what is now, what was before, and what will be. Without time, we wouldn’t be able to learn about the history of the world around us, nor be able to prepare for and advance towards the future. Without time, I wouldn’t have my favorite subject of history, nor would I be able to listen to the experiences of those who lived during a time before me. Time can be used to prepare for upcoming important events in our lives, both big and small. Preparation for college and getting a job doesn’t happen without time, nor does planning out a schedule to finish work for school. 

Sometimes, time also has the power of bringing people together, because it also creates separation. When we haven’t seen important people in our lives for a long time, whether they’re family, friends or coworkers, the times when we are able to be together again reinforce the bonds we have with each other. Time allows us to reflect on what makes a person important to us, because when that person isn’t with us, there is a sense of missing something that has become part of our life. Furthermore, the time we spend interacting with others brings us closer together. Learning about another person’s personality, what they like and dislike, and their other relationships takes time.

Perhaps one of the most important characteristics of time that I appreciate the most is that time heals. There isn’t a single person in the world who has never made mistakes in their life, regardless of scale. friendship gone sour. An academic opportunity passed up. Days, months, even years dedicated to the wrong things. Sometimes, there are factors we have a hard time or simply can’t control that can bring us down, factors like mental illness, feelings of insecurity or jealousy, or a physical ailment. When we recognize these things, it truly hurts. 

In spite of our past experiences and mistakes, time has given us those things so that we can feel and understand when we do something wrong in order to make us better for the future. Though it has caused me pain initially, I am thankful for time, because without experiencing that pain, I wouldn’t have been able to humble myself and reflect upon what or who I’ve done wrong. While there are many effective medical treatments to help recover from physical and emotional pain, all of these things take time to work. Even then, there are times that the only medicine that helps us recuperate is time itself. This is certainly something that has applied to my own life. I have made countless mistakes in my life, some greater than others. More often than not, the only thing that helps me learn and improve, besides talking about them, is time. Because of time, I’ve recognized my own flaws and bad habits, as well as better understand stupid decisions I’ve made that have had negative consequences. In short, I am thankful for the pain that time has caused, and the room for healing and self-reflection that it offers after.

Time is something that we take for granted far too often. Once it passes, we don’t get it back. However, this shouldn’t deter us from using time efficiently right now or in the future. For all that time can do, the least we can do is work to not put it to waste. I am truly thankful for all that time does for me, and all that it will continue to do, for the sake of myself and those around me.