If you are over the age of 40, or have a passion for music from the seventies, you might recall a hit song from that era, “Time in a Bottle.” The song was sung by the late Jim Croce and was reported to have been written for his young son. The words of the song mention saving time, making days last forever and then basically living them all over again.

Many of us may wish that we could go back and relive various times of our life over. We recall spending time with friends and relatives that are no longer with us. We would like to relive the time over again when we first found the person with whom we would spend our adult life. Many would also like to go back and spend the time they had with their children when they were young.

Unfortunately, the possibility of reliving time exists only in our dreams. We have each day given to us and are afforded the opportunity to make the most of those 24 hours. In actuality we may only have 16 hours in which to choose how each day is spent. Some would say even less since many spend 8 or more hours each day at a job earning a living. But even in the time that we spend working many opportunities are available to grow as a person, help another person in need, and leave the world a better place than we found it. Sometimes a simple smile to another person makes a huge difference, in the day they are having. If you helped to make a neighbor’s load lighter that day, in any way, your 24-hour journey was well worthwhile.

Since none of us know how many of those 24 hour journeys we have left, we owe it to not only ourselves, but to our family and friends to be the best possible person we can be. Sometimes that may even mean using part of that 24 hours to make amends or apologize for how we treated others in the past.

Also as we all have come to realize time does seem to move faster as we grow older. This makes how we live each minute, hour and day even more important. The only thing we have been promised is today. We cannot live in the past, or the future. We have today to take care of. Ironically, soon after “Time in a Bottle” was released, Jim Croce died in a plane crash.

This favorite Bible verse sums it up very well: “Today is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)

Randy Garrison is the publisher of the Hartselle Enquirer.