TIME IS TICKING, TICKING..........INTO THE FUTURE

How did the little bloke get to be a year old so quickly? I have this theory about time, how the older you get the faster it goes. I mean, for my little grandson who turned 1 today, one year is 100% of his life, whereas for me who is pushing sixty in a few months, one year is only a sixtieth of my life span, an infinitely smaller percentage.

So, as the years increase the fraction of your life for each year that passes decreases correspondingly, culminating in those moments like when Christmas decorations appear in the supermarket you stare and think “didn’t we just have Christmas?” or when tax time rolls around it feels like we’ve only just completed last year’s return. I guess for many that could be true anyway, but it feels increasingly like the years are passing in a blur, and if you don’t take a breath and stop to take notice, life can easily pass you by and you miss those special moments which can become lifetime memories.

So, with camera in hand and sporting a Thomas the Tank Engine party hat I delved into Zandar’s initiation into the birthday ritual, and like all typical one year olds he took more interest in the packaging and balloons than he did in his presents. Mum and big sister Bella were very keen on getting the Thomas ride on train so he had something to zoom around the house on, but his Dad won out and went for the more butch all terrain vehicle. He reckons the girls can choose the girly stuff, but now that Zandar’s getting bigger he wants to have a say in choosing the fun blokey stuff. No sex role typecasting round here, not half, but being a little bloke the fascination with anything involving wheels seems to be inbred and can’t be denied.

Birthdays come and go, and we tend to give them less recognition as we get older, probably as an act of denial as to how fast the years are flying by, but to be remembered and affirmed and recognized as a special individual is a gift in itself. Making the effort to do those little things which reaffirms that more often than simply on birthdays is an added bonus and can be a real blessing, both for the giver, and the receiver.