I’ve been thinking about about the Chinese saying of “一寸光蔭一寸金，寸金難買寸光蔭” and I’ve come to realize how true it is. I still remember when I was being taught that lesson in Chinese school and I was just sitting looking at the teacher thinking to myself ‘I’m young, I can waste time doing whatever I want’. Yet, less than a decade later I’m sitting here wondering how I can more efficiently use my time so I can make them most out of my life. I’m only 20 (21 in about 3 weeks) and I’m writing this post as if I were an 80 year-old who has terminal cancer and only has a few more days to live or something. However, if there’s one thing I’ve learned since I was taught “一寸光蔭一寸金，寸金難買寸光蔭,” then its that anything can happen at any time, and we can’t control any of it, so we really must cherish every millisecond of our lives.
My grandpa passed away this past summer, and while I calm and unaffected, it was like my life came to a grinding halt. My grandpa’s death affected me not only because I was the one there with him over the 2 month period that he was diagnosed and ultimately passed away from late stage brain and lung cancer, but also because everything was extremely unexpected. My grandpa was a strong and active person, up until 2~4 months before he passed away, he was still considerably active and independent. Yet, over the span of only 2 weeks he became bedridden and couldn’t even do any simple self grooming tasks. My grandpa’s passing made me realize how precious time is to us and how things can happen unexpectedly.
I know it may not seem like it, but I’m really trying to spend my time wisely. I now understand that every second of every day that has passed can no longer be relived. Time is the most precious thing we own and it shouldn’t be wasted in any way.
Note: “一寸光蔭一寸金，寸金難買寸光蔭” roughly translates to “time is worth its weight in gold, but no amount of gold can ever buy time.”