Time is a precious gift, one that we can easily take for granted as life moves quickly. We often live as though there will always be more of it, filling our days with plans, expectations, and busy schedules. Yet time is fragile, and once it passes, it can not be reclaimed.
Time shapes every part of our journey.
In 2022, theologian Richard Gaillardetz was looking ahead to retirement after many years of teaching and service. He was planning how he would spend his future time writing, travelling, and enjoying life with his wife. Like many of us thinking about what comes next, his focus was on the time ahead.
But time suddenly changed direction. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and told he had limited time to live.
In that moment, the future he had carefully planned no longer felt certain. Time became something immediate, precious, and deeply real. Life shifted from long-term plans to making the most of each present day.
In that new awareness of time, he began to reflect more deeply on life. In his writings, later published titled, While I Breathe, I Hope, he shared how this experience helped him value each moment more fully and live with greater peace.
Life became about treatment, facing illness, and preparing for what lay ahead.
His story speaks to children and young people today.
We often assume we have plenty of time, to grow up, to change, to say sorry, to appreciate others, to do what is right. But time is never guaranteed, and it does not always follow our plans.
Time teaches us how to live wisely. It reminds us that every moment is a gift and that the present is where life truly happens. It also reminds us that while our time on earth is limited, it is meaningful.
So the message is simple, do not wait for someday to live well.
Use your time wisely.
Value your relationships now.
Be present in each day.
Live with gratitude and purpose.
Because time is precious, and how we use it shapes the life we live.
✍️ Amara Ann Unachukwu
