I always thought the adults were wrong. As a child I would hear them say how “time just keeps moving more quickly” and I would shake my head. To me, summer vacation felt like I was gifted an eternity before school was to start again. When I felt bored, time did not move fast.

But guess what? They were right.

Now an adult- and one who has an adult child, I am noticing the passage of time more acutely. I recently had a birthday and could hardly believe my last one was actually a year ago. My school days feel very distant. I have worked in Parkdale since 2007, which means nearly twenty years.

It was in 2012 that I started this blog. At the time, I was looking for a way to invite people into the changing story of what would become The Dale. It also created a space for me to reflect on and process my own journey. One of my earliest posts was simply titled, “Therapy”.

All these years later, I am still in therapy. I have an appointment every other week. It is a standing commitment, one that only gets shifted due to emergencies or an unusual conflict. My counsellor offers me a safe space to share, consistently asks perspective shifting questions, helps me through times of crisis, and challenges me to continue the work of self-reflection while things are relatively stable.

I am different than I was when I started, and I suspect change will continue in the years to come. I do not mean that I am another person. Actually, I believe that I am more authentically myself and slowly growing more comfortable in my own skin. I give a lot of credit to therapy as a conduit of the healing grace of God.

One of the things I have been practicing along the way is being present to the moment. Most recently, I have added journaling with all five senses to my “presence” toolkit. It helps me notice my surroundings in a grounded way, one that actually slows down the clock.

I suspect time will keep moving at a quick clip. I wonder what it means to be present to time, whatever its speed. Summers still seem to disappear quickly. I am rarely bored, though now I sometimes wish I could be. I still both want and need therapy. The story of The Dale continues, as does mine.

When I look back, I do not primarily see the passage of time. I see people, stories, friendships, healing, and community. While time keeps moving at a surprising rate, the invitation, I think, is not to keep up with it but to be present within it.