Chapter 1: The Forest

Chapter 1: The forest

“Wait for me!” I yelled as I ran after my sister through the woods. She never waited for me. I kept tripping and the branches were hitting my face. Mosquitoes were attempting to have me for dinner, but I kept running. I could hear her faint voice laughing and shouting things at me like “slow poke.” She was the wild one, never listening to mom and dad. She was the one who would get in trouble, not me. So why was I running after her at dusk? She told me she had something to show me. Something I had to see for myself, she couldn’t just tell me. She said it would change my life. 

I wish it would. I guess I liked my life ok. We had a nice house, my father had a job, but the one thing I wish I could change is the death of my mother. She died when I was 12. I still remember her face the last breath that left her mouth. Laying there, quiet, still and peaceful. Knowing I will never see her smile again. Knowing I would never get notes in my lunch boxes again. All that was left of her was this cold, lifeless body, her energy gone forever.

If I was in control, if I could bend time, I would change this one event. I knew my sister felt the same way. She was only 10 when mom died, and she hasn’t been the same since. It really affected her in ways we will never know. She didn’t even speak for sometime. It has been five years since mom died and she just started to come out of her shell, and she has been terrible recently. Yelling at my father, arguing at every moment she could, about nothing really. We were both in high school now, and she was just not the same. I thought she was just up to another one of her episodes when she woke me up. She was frantic and told me I had to go with her right this second.

“I’m sleeping…” I said as I rubbed my eyes. “You need to come with me NOW!” She whispered hard in my face. “Why…” I mumbled trying to roll away from her hot breath. “Because it will change your life!” That got my attention. What was she talking about. What will ‘change my life’? And then she pleaded that she can’t go back without me and she it too scared. Then she pouted, and that always gets me. I can never say no when she puts on her pouty face. “Ok fine, give me a minute to figure myself out…”

Now we are running through the woods behind my house , my feet can’t seem to stay on the ground, and ever other step seems to meet a branch in the face or in the leg. She is sprinting faster than I ever thought she could, but something is new here, she is laughing. It was a sound I had not hear in years. It has been so long, my hears almost didn’t recognize it, my eyes were not use to seeing the picture, but my heart lept just the same. My sister was happy. Now she is sprinting faster than I have ever seen her, but she is happy. My sister is happy right now. This is the happiest I have seen her since before mom has died. She is actually making fun of me. So I keep running, and yelling to her to slow down because I’m not that graceful.

“I found it! It’s here!” I knew I was close. Panting, I saw a clearing in the trees. It was a large meadow with the trees surrounding it in a circle. The grass was tall, green and soft. The moon was shining bright and I saw my sister standing there frantically waving her arms at me. I saw what she was standing next to. This large tree in the middle of the clearing, strong and big, branches reaching up to the sky. The leaves were very green with hints of blue and yellow streaks, almost as if light was shinking through each individual leaf. Within the large knotty pine sat a tiny green wooden door. The door looked like something from the Keebler Elves house, and I chuckled to myself when I saw it. The most magnificent part was the clock. On one of the sturdiest branches hung a giant wind up clock, glimmering gold in the moonlight. It looked like my grandfather’s wine up pocket watch, but this one could not fit into any pocket watch. I would have a hard time wrapping my hands around it. It was ticking quietly, and it looked as if it had always been there.

I actually shook my head, closed and opened my eyes to make sure I was actually seeing what I thought I was looking at. My sister was starting at me to take in my reaction to her discovery. I was in utter disbelief at what was happening.

“How did you find this?” I asked puzzled.
“Isn’t it amazing! I was out here walking today, and I was thinking about mom, and I started to get really sad. I decided I was going to walk until I didn’t feel sad anymore, wherever and however long it took me. It felt like I was walking forever, and then I stumbled on this place! Isn’t it so wonderful?”

My mind was racing, I didn’t know which part of that I should address first. It broke my heart to see my sister upset. I so badly wanted to protect her from the world, even her own pain. I hated that mom was no longer with us, but it had really affected her. She never asked for help. Dad and I are helpless bystanders. We can’t fix anything, and we just have to watch the pain unfold, slowly. But here we are, and she is happy. Even better, she is sharing with me about her thought process and wanting to share something with me. I wanted to be supported, and I wanted to not push her away.

“How long have you been here? What lives in this tree?” I asked, trying to muster up as much excitement in my voice. Now, I wasn’t as excited right off the bat. I am realistic, I am a pragmatist. See, magic does not exist. If it did, we could have used it to stop my mother’s cancer. So even though my senses were telling me that in front of me was a giant, knotty, twisted tree, with a keelber elf door and a giant wind up watch, I still had to live in the land of reason.

I had also seen my fair share of commercials and movies that informed me that not all creatures are friendly. This was reminding me of the book Spiderwick Chronicles. Those creatures were definitly not friendly. How about the movie Gremlins? I mean the Mugwai was really cute, but if you feed him after midnight, not good. What about Jumanji, those animals were not friendly. Who know what lives in that door- I couldn’t smell anything baking so it probably was not the Keebler elves.

When she didn’t answer me, I replied with “Ok, you showed me, now can we go?” I really was ready to go. I mean, it was nice to see her happy, but that tree was really starting to freak me out. I did not have that natural curiosity most kids have. I saw things as they were, and accepted it for face value. I didn’t feel the need to find out any more, and I would be perfectly happy just knowing it was there, and going home to my snuggy bed.

“NO!” she shouted at me. “I’m not leaving, and neither are you!”

I was taken aback. What was her problem? That was rude. “Why?” I asked.

“Because it was my destiny to find this place, I know it, and it is your destiny too! Look!” She exclaimed frantically, pointing at the clock. She was really starting to freak me out. Hesitantly, I looked to where she was pointing. On the back of the clock, and I kid you not, two names were engraved in the metal. Just like my grandfather’s pocket watch, but instead of his name, it was our names that were carved in the watch. I couldn’t believe what I was looking at. Is that really my name? Is it really carved in this giant clock hanging from a tree that makes its own light with a keebler door? I am totally dreaming! Of course I’m dreaming, this can’t be real. I decided to pinch myself. “Ow!”

“What are you doing?” She asked me.
“This can’t be real, so I decided to pinch myself and it hurt, so I guess this means this is real.”
Then she slapped me and started to laugh. That hurt too.
“Of course it’s real” she laughed, “Why would it not be? We DESERVE this, this is OUR place.” She said, almost frantic. She started to dance around the tree and laugh. I thought she had gone mad. But it was nice to see her so happy. This is how I remembered her before mom died. She would laugh all the time, we would laugh together. Sometimes we would be laughing so hard, holding our stomachs, we would get in trouble, especially when it was in church.

“Ok, fine. It’s real, and if my eyes are not playing tricks on me, those are our names. But, what does it mean?” I asked, still not feeling entirely awake now, but my leg was still burning from where I pinched it.

“I don’t know, I just knew it was meant for us. When is the last time anything was meant for us! Oh Danielle, what does this all mean? Isn’t it exciting!” She asked just beaming at the names. I could see her face in the reflection of the clock. She was radiant, so happy, so excited. She looked five years younger, before my mom died, before grief took over her face.

Danielle. The sound of my name rang in my ears. I realized just then she had not said my name in a while. In fact, she actually hadn’t really referred to me at all recently. She had been so dark and sad and withdrawn. I forgot what her voice sounded like when she said my name. I took a deep breath and tried not to show her the tear that escaped from my eye.

“Ok,” I said now, a little calmer. “So what do we do now? Do we knock on that Keebler door or wind the clock?”
“Hmmm, I hadn’t thought about either of those things. Keebler door?” She asked.
I guess I hadn’t shared that thought of my thought process with her. I smiled and said “You know, like the cookies.”
“I got that part idiot; I just don’t think it looks like a Keebler door.” She said snarikly
Clearly that magical moment lasted a brief moment and now she was back to her her current self.
I got closer to examine the door. I was really hoping that it did not just open, not only would I probably die of a heart attack, I was not feeling super brave right now. The door was shaped like a teardrop, blue with ridges throughout. It had a tiny handle and a purple flower on the outside of the door. There was a small, bronze plaque on the door that read E.A.O.R.

“Elizabeth, what do you think this means?” I asked. She came closer, and we both squatted in front of the door. I heard something behind us, and I quickly turned around. I could have sworn I saw something moving among the trees. I scanned the treeline closely, and I saw nothing. I turned around and Elizabeth was touching the plaque and tracing the letters with her finger.
 
“E.A.O.R. I wonder what it means. Is is a name?” she asked.
“Probably would not have dots if it were a name.” I said.
She got up and smiled at me. She walked over to the clock and started to touch our names engraved in the back of the clock. Why did she have to touch everything? I had this bad feeling. She had a look in her eyes. A look I knew too well. It was a look of trouble.

She turned around so quickly I almost fell over from the abruptness.
“I think we should wind the clock.” She said with a hint of excitement in her voice.

At this point, I figured something was going to happen, something to change my life, as she promised. I just didn’t understand how much my life was going to truly change. I had no idea; this was the moment, right now. I took another long deep breath. I knew that once she had her mind set on something, it would be impossible to change it. I knew that she would do it with or without me. I would rather with me.

I resigned myself to the situation. So, I took in all of the scenery, felt the grass touch my leg, felt the ground beneath my feet. Saw how the moon reflected in my sister’s excited eyes, and felt my own cold hands as I clenched my fists in anticipation.

“Ok, wind the clock, let’s see where our adventure begins.”

I'm doing it!

I'm doing it. I'm going to write a novel for the month of November.  The working title is Adventure Through Time.  I think there is some irony in the fact that I started to write my novel on November 1st, and I have lost my voice!  I cannot speak, which makes it hard to teach, but boy, can I write! I plan on writing and finishing that novel, and then I will be in the land of editing. I will post excerpts here if you are interested, and I want to track my progress.  I have purchased a keyboard to write with my students, and I plan on writing more this afternoon with my 6th graders.  A friend of mine is doing this with her entire 7th grade classes. Maybe next year.  This year I begin with me and my computer and a goal of 50,000 words before the end of November.  Wish me luck!

Ode to Congress and the Religious Right

I get annoyed when you judge.
Surrounded by your ignorance.
I get annoyed when you lie.
What makes you better than me?
I get annoyed when you say one thing, but do another.
When you think you know everything.
When you think you can control me.
When you take away my rights.
When you make hate a hobby.
You think your connected to God?
Last time I checked, God wasn't hiring.
You see the world through tainted eyes. 
Common sense isn't in your lexicon.


I get annoyed when you discriminate.
When you make bad decisions.
When you spout untruths.
When you drone on and on.
When you argue to no avail.
I get annoyed when you think you know me.
When you make assumptions.
When you fill my air waves.
When you pollute my mail.
When your in my face.
You hate me, but you don't even know me.
You don't even think for yourself.
You hide behind posters-blogs-signs-Facebook.
You pass your hate around.


I get annoyed when you force your ideas.
When you make your own rules.
When you think rules don't apply to you.
When you think your better.
When you sit up there on your hill.
What gives you permission to speak for me?
I didn't vote for you.
Just because you have money doesn't make you smart.
You can't buy a soul.
I just got a text from God.
You're fired!

David's battle with the coffee machine: Why simple is better.

I brought in our old grind and brew to summer institute.  It used to be the bomb six years ago. Just put in fresh coffee beans and with the press of a button you have coffee-created pushing filtered water through freshly ground beans-the ultimate cup of wonderful.  However, I have found a new way of making coffee, so grind and brew was shelved for year or two until it found new life at summer institute and David.

The war began slowly.  I kept the two apart at first, making the coffee myself. I assumed it was not complicated, I was wrong. 

The first battle began yesterday.  I was writing and noticed David hovering over the machine.  He looked puzzled.  I heard the beep of finished coffee, but did not hear the percolating sounds.  I saw a white flag in his face. He needed reinforcements and I was happy to help.  I noticed there was no water in the machine.  Chuckling, I swooped in to help.  Coffee machine- 1 David- 0.   

I cleaned out the top and added water.  Reset the button and sat down.  David resumed the battle alone.  When the beeping sounded, again, there was no coffee. Exasperated, David gave in to the coffee machine, with a real white flag of surrendered- disguised as "it was late." The day was long ,and the battle was retired for the day.  We didn’t need any more coffee after 3:45 anyway.

I came in this morning to clean the machine out.  It was ugly- like someone shoved coffee into every orifice of the machine.  The machine needed TLC.  This time, I helped the machine.  I was a neutral party in this war.

I started to make the coffee, alas, we were out of beans.  David to the rescue!  David ran off in search of the right beans to make a pot of wonderful.  He was well prepared for this part of the battle.  He had anticipated all the opponents moves.  He turned of the grinder, he filled it with water, he put in the filter.  He was ready.  He pressed the button and success!  He won that battle. His victory would be short lived.

The war was not over.  

Quickly supplies were depleted and he needed to replenish.  He went back for the final battle.  This time, the coffee machine was waiting with some secret tricks up its sleeve.  David thought he did everything right. Filter, coffee, water.  Button pushed, but this time the coffee machine fought back with a fierce vengeance. Not only did it refuse to produce coffee, it spit the grounds out.  David tried again.  Put in water this time.  Coffee machine was not having it.  It spit coffee and water everywhere.  David went back, took the whole thing apart.  By the time I looked up there was coffee carnage everywhere.  Brown soaked paper towels.  All of the insides of the coffee machine left for dead in the white tub. There was water in places I thought were impossible for water to go. The filter was filled with brown, sludge water, and David was filled with despair.  This was a series of battles, but sadly it appears the coffee machine won the war.

The grind and brew is a fickle bitch.  Perhaps the lesson here is that simplicity is better.  Also, don’t fight with a fickle bitch, she’ll beat you every time!

Angry Pancakes

Angry Pancakes

You took me out of the cupboard
Poured me into a bowl
I was happier in the bag
Now I’m wet and cold.

Sticky with the eggs 
You shoved on top of me
Why couldn’t I stay powder?
I’m miserable don’t you see?

Then you do the worst
You add the chocolate chips!
You’re already fat
These will land on your hips!

Didn’t the doctor say
I’m bad for you to eat
Just put me back in my bag
I want to go to sleep.

Excerpt from larger essay- Why is Jesus White? Tale of a Renegade Catholic

I had never once thought about Jesus as a teenager.  It’s amusing to think about.  I mean ,he had to have been a teenager right?  He wasn’ t just a baby and than an adult.  I also was very confused each year as a child at how we celebrated the birth and death of Jesus in the same year.  I mean, that is crazy right?  Did Jesus like music? Did he try to rebel?  Did he ever get into trouble? I started to really think about it.  How awesome would a party be with Jesus...

“Hey guys, did you bring the jug of water and that loaf of bread?”
“Yeah Jesus, we got it, now are you going to work your magic or what?”
He waves his hand over both.
“Party time boys, all the wine and bread and fish we could want!”
“Excellent Jesus, you totally rock!”

He must have been the most popular boy in his class. I mean, so many young Jewish boys must have gotten so drunk with him.  Did Jesus have any crushes?  Did he ever buckle under pressure of being God’s son?  I imagine a conversation with Joseph might be like this...

“Jesus, pick up your robe.  I know you may have been born in a manger, but this is a house, and we don’t still live with animals.”
“You can’t tell me what to do! Your not my REAL dad, JOE.  You didn’t even knock up my mother.  You are nothing to me!”
“Don’t you dare use that language with me young man. I raised you and I don’t deserve this.”
“Whatever JOE.  You have no say over me. You are not my ruler. I am your ruler! Yeah, that is what mom told me, so deal with that!” As he walks out dramatically.

I mean where is the Gospel according to Chubby, Jesus’s high school best friend?  I’m sure there are some juicy pieces in there.  Like the time Jesus was bored at school and decided to leave.  The school was of course, outside near a lake.  He needed to make a quick escape and ran across the water.  Or the time that Jesus and John thought it was funny to dunk freshman in the lake.  That would plague John later when he tried to do that again.  

Secret Thoughts of Water Bottles...
by Danielle Sullivan

I sit there. On that table, looking at you.  You just see through me. Will you need me later? You always just use me. I don’t feel respected.  All you do is fill me up, but then drain me almost as fast.  I have needs too. I wish I could see the world.  I was just created, put on a shelf, and then I met you.  I know you care about me. You put that glove on me, made me different than the rest. You have tried to label me, but I won’t let you.  I don’t want to be labeled, to be pigeon holed, to be put in a box.  I want to be free. Clear and ready to be filled with whatever.  I don't like to just be thrown into things. I wish I had more warning. Shoved into hard places, soft places, warm places, sweaty places.  Stop thinking like that, I’m talking about book bags, gym bags, in your purse, cloth bags, or on the car floor.  I don’t like being cold, but you insist on keeping me cold. Have you once thought about what I would want? What I might need?  No, it’s all about you. What you need, want. How can I assist you, serve you? Make sure you are hydrated enough.  I do like when you hold me, tip me up.  I like to feel close, to feel contact. I prefer sitting next to you, then left to roll on the car floor, unknowing if I will ever be picked up again.  I do get lonely, but I know that I will be with you as long as you will have me.  I guess that is good enough for now...

My Not So Secret Garden
by Danielle Sullivan

This is a place where I relax.
Sun beaming all around me.
Seated quietly,
Surrounded by plants and flowers,
Touched with love.

This is a place where I relax.
Relinquish worry,
Feel the touch of soft, luscious, green, grass,
Soft hum of bug repellent,
Birds chirping at each other
Vapid fire of swaks and squeeks.

This is the place where I relax.
The kerfuffle of squirrels chasing each other up and down trees
Pulls my attention for a moment.
Improvisational flight of butterflies takes it next.
Cars zooming by on route 13,
Hardly noticeable when i’m hooked
Absorbed by an adventurous tale.

This is the place where I relax.
Quagmire-hot sun is burning my skin,
Love the warmth and feelings of snug.
Reluctantly move towards shade,
Mind torqued with images,
Battles fought between pages.

This is the place where I relax.
Cantankerous sound brings me back.
Babies yelling next door.
Breathing deeply,
Letting the beauty sink in,
Instantly calm again.
No conundrums.
No worries.
Tranquil, quiet, garden
In my front yard.

This is the place where I relax.

Slowing Down .... Listen

Listen. Stop. Pause. Wait. Hear. Notice. Feel. Breathe. Notice again. Listen.  These are all things that we know we should do with our bodies, but we don't ever take time to do.  How hard it is it notice how you feel when you eat something? How hard is it to even notice when you are taking a breath, or notice when you feel an emotion?  Seems easy right? Then why don't more people take the time to do it.  Time again, funny thing time is.  It's because we are taught not to take the time.  We need to be the fastest, best, whatever else we need to be.  In our society, it's better to be over stimulated then to be quiet. It's better to be around a lot of things, people, checking email, phone, youtube, news on, music playing, and running around doing a million things.  When do we slow down? What does slowing down look like?  I'm working on that myself. I get sucked into the madness more often than I would like.  I eat what I think I want, not paying attention to what it's doing to me.  I drink what I think I want, and I notice, but then I ignore what my body tells me.  No more. I am not going to ignore the signs and I'm not going to ignore what food does to my body.  Your body is very smart.  If you don't take care of it consciously, it will find a way to tell you it' s not OK. It may shut down, get sick, make your stomach hurt so much you are keeled over in pain, or it will just stop working one day.  You are in control, and you can choose what to eat and when to eat it. You can choose to stretch and take care of yourself. No one makes you eat food that doesn't feel good, no one makes you drink things that add toxicity to your body, no one makes you do anything.  You have a choice, and you can choose to live feeling great, or not.  I am done with the not, and I choose to feel great.  Am I perfect? Not even close, but I just realized that coffee hurt my stomach, caffeine really, and that is a bummer, but  what I do with that information can make all the difference in my health. 

Thoughts on a quiet Sunday morning

I'm feeling lost and I want to become found. I'm feeling like I need to do something, and I know I'm on the verge. I know that I need to continue to do what I'm doing. Examine my life and see if things in it are moving me forward or are distracting me. I want to help people above and beyond teaching and I want more time to create things that are important to me. I would love to not be a teacher in a public school, but I'm not sure where this will lead me.  I also know that I have this uncanny talent to write really funny songs on the spot, and I have a wonderful infectious energy. I know I can harness the power of good, and I have a lot of amazing, creative friends to help me. I just need focus.  I am like a Jackson Pollack painting. My energy and ideas and essence get splattered every which way, and I need to harness them. I have so many ideas and so many passions, which one do I pick? 
I choose to be in the present. I choose to take things one day at a time, and I choose to find the better thought. I am taking tomorrow as a gift (thank you Dr. King) to myself. I will spend the day creating, and hopefully something amazing will come out of it. I know I can apply the skills I have learned in teaching to reach a wider auidence. I have a lot to say. I have a lot to offer, and I just need to find the right message and the right audience.  I also need to write for myself more often. 
It's hard to get out of your head sometimes. It's hard to have so many thoughts and not know which one to act on. Writing has helped me clarify and take some action.  Friends help me process and listen, but only I can take the action I need to take.  I have created vision boards, stopped eating sugar and I have writing 750 words a day for 15 days. That is action.  I have been working out consistently, paying attention to what I'm eating and choosing to not let drama affect me.  That is taking action.  I feel like I haven't done a lot, but in fact, I am doing things every day.  
I keep waiting for something to hit me, or strike me light a lightening bolt, when in fact, I'm slowly cooking like a crock pot. I am doing a little bit each day, and when I'm finished, my finished product will be amazing.  Small steps towards a bigger picture.  Even as I'm writing I'm realizing how I am not taking time to notice the smaller things. I'm not taking time to be grateful and understand how many blessings I have in my life.  I am not ... I am taking time right now to notice. I am taking time right now to be grateful and I'm taking the time.  I have time. I have the gift of time (refer to my post on time).
Now what? I took action today by writing, and I am going to create content for an idea I have.  I am also going to spend some time with friends today, which is always a blessing. I am enjoying this quiet Sunday morning looking out at the snow in my front yard, and I'm snuggled next to a purring kitty, while sipping on hot tea. Life is good. It really is. My "problem" is that I want to do more.  I have a lot to be grateful for. I have a wonderful wife, a snuggy house with two fuzzy feline friends, a wonderful, loving supportive family, great, amazing friends. I love living in Ithaca. I have a job that is pretty great most of the time. I get to affect people everyday.  I make an impact every day on some child's life. Even if it's making a crazy joke, or singing during math class.  I have my health and I have a strong body that I nourish with good food. I am about to head out and eat my most favorite breakfast of all time, and it's sunny in Ithaca for more days than I can count this winter.  Life is good. Now I get to discover what's next, and that is a great problem to have. 

Occupy Wallstreet Song- To the tune of Born This Way- Lady Gaga

It doesn't matter if your with us or if you join us.
Just put your tents up 
We occupy today

We are tired of all the greed corruption in politics 
We want a world where we can live free 
Where taxes don't fund conflicts

There's nothing wrong with freedom of speech 
The founders wrote the bill of rights 
We want to live in a better world 
Free from hate and enless plights

We're creative in our ways 
We're rising up each day 
We're on the right track 
Join us occupy today

We don't live life with regrets 
We have simple requests 
We're on the right track 
Join us occupy today

We're finding other ways 
To build a better world today 
Join us occupy today

We're finding different ways 
To build a better world today 
Join us occupy today

Don't be depressed, you have a dream 
Don't be depressed, you have a dream 
Don't be depressed, you have a dream A dream...

Join in the movement, pick a place 
There popping up in all cities 
We are making some politicians insecure 
them to tell the truth

We are nonviolent, we seek freedom 
From corruption called G-R-E-E-D 
We love our lives, we love our freedom 
We just want to live the way we choose.

We're creative in our ways 
We're rising up each day 
We're on the right track, 
Join us and occupy today

We don't live life with regrets 
We have simple requests 
We're on the right track 
Join us and occupy today

We're finding other ways 
To build a better world today 
Join us occupy today

We're finding different ways 
To build a better world today 
Join us occupy today

Don't be depressed you have a dream 
Whether your broke, or been demeaned 
You've lost your job to government, 
We're all in the 99 percent! 
Whether life's disabilities 
Let you outcast, bullied, or teased 
Rejoice and join the movement anyway 
Rise and just occupy today

We welcome gay straight or bi 
Lesbian transgender life, 
We welcome you to our camp 
Cause you were born to survive, 
We welcome black, white or tan 
Different beliefs at hand 
We welcome you to our camp 
Join us and take a stand.

Hurricane Irene Song

My First Stand Up

Time

Time. Interesting concept.  Time gets a bad wrap.  Time gets blamed for a lot of things, when really, time is the only thing we all have.  Time is the one thing we have in common.  No matter what country you are from, race, ethnicity, socio economic status, religious beliefs. The only thing we have in common is time. Everyone has 24 hours in a day. It's what we choose to do with our time that matters. Some people waste time, some people give time away, some people spend time, some people never have enough time. and some people feel like time is the enemy. The one thing we can always count on is that time will pass, if we like it or not. Minutes continue to click by, days continue to go by.  We are in charge of ourselves, not time. Stop blaming time for everything that you may or may not have, or saying you don't have enough of it. Time can't be multiplied, you can't have more than anyone else. You can choose to use your time more effectively than everyone else, but you don't get more time.  Time is given equally to everyone, and time will also move. Those are the two constants we live with.  Stop blaming time, time didn't cause you to sit on the couch all day, time didn't ask you to not go to the gym, or to work too late yesterday, time only gave you an equal share and time is dependable, because time will forever continue on, no matter what.  That is assurance.  You will always have time, until you die that is.  You can't blame time for that either, your time would be up then.  I think we need to thank time for existing and then find ways to live within our 24 hours, 7 days a week, 52 weeks in a year and use each minute in each hour in each day to the best of our ability.  We need to manage ourselves in relation to time. What are you doing with your gift? Where are you using your 24 hours? are you sleeping enough? too much? doing something great, or are you watching time click by, because it will, with nothing left.  I am using my time today to create. I worked out with friends, I went for a walk and got a healing session. I threw ice in the lake and I watched the clouds roll by. I cooked dinner with my wife, and I listened to music and created songs.  What did you do with your time? How can you use your precious time?