525, 600 minutes

As I sit here, trying to think of something to write about, the term MILESTONES comes to mind. Last weekend, I had the awesome pleasure of seeing Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp, two of RENT's original cast members, perform. 

It brought back a lot of memories. 525, 600 minutes = 1 year. How many other things do we measure in minutes and time? 2 hours and 46 minutes of pushing (in labor), 1 hr 37 minute flight from Cleveland to NY, 7 hours of work and 1 hr lunch break, 2 minute commercial breaks, 8 minutes and 36 seconds for Meatloaf's " Paradise by the dashboard light." You get the picture!

This morning, we acknowledge that JL turned 3 1/2 yesterday! She was so proud of herself! As a child, we celebrated our half-birthdays because mine is in August and my brothers' are in February. Either I was at camp or my grandparents were in Florida for someone's birthday, so we always acknowledge the day together when we could. My mom even sent me 1/2 b-day cards in college!

Time can mean milestones for us, both good and bad. It's been 18 years since we had to say good-bye to a childhood friend who lost her short battle with cancer, when she was just 18. (I was 18, she may have been 19.)  A friend just announced he's been sober for 18 years, while another said she is leaving a job after the same amount of time. In Judaism, 18 is a very significant number. The letters "chet" and "yud" when added up equals 18, it also means "life." When we say "L'Chaim" it means "To Life"!! In the US, 18 means adulthood, the right to vote. While in some parts of Canada it means you can legally drink!

I often wonder why years that end in 5 and 10 are considered "big" birthdays or anniversaries. For many, every year marks an important birthday; just happy to have made it!  I'll be married 9 years this December, that seems pretty special to me! Heck, it's half of 18!

As our children get older, time seems to fly by sometimes and stand still at others! Trying to get a 3 (and 1/2) year old to sleep seems like it takes forever, but having only an hour to share with her before bedtime flies right by. To a child, the 10 minutes it takes to make dinner takes for ever, but spending quality time at the table flies by for mom and dad!

My message to all of you is enjoy every moment that you can. Soak it in. Before you know it, your kid will be 18 or your newborn will be in your arms. How do you measure your 525, 600 minutes?