John F. Myslinski | “Time Passes Quickly”

John F. Myslinski

“Philip Roth once wrote in his novel Everyman: "Getting old is not a battle … it’s a massacre!"

So many friends of mine seem overwhelmed that their children have become adults too quickly. One moment as parents, you're holding your first baby, then before you know it, while you still consider yourself a young man or woman, you're holding your first grandchild. One moment we begin our careers, and then before you know it, we're taking out IRAs and planning our retirement. Age seems to just "creep in" much sooner than any of us expect!

This is certainly evident when we hear about the death of our friends and contemporaries. But even the deaths of our parents and grandparents—who lived well into their 80s and 90s—come as a shock to us as we try to live life without our mothers, fathers, or grandparents.

Moments like this are always a reminder of how precious time is and how quickly it passes for all of us. None of us have a right to expect another year or even another day—it is all pure gift with no entitlements to a tomorrow. But we all have a choice on how we will use the time left to each one of us. Let us pray to God that we use it well!”