“Time is not a predator that steals our years, but a faithful companion that teaches us their worth. We were never promised forever, only the extraordinary privilege of being alive, of loving deeply, and of leaving behind a little more warmth than we found. For the beauty of life is not measured by how long we remain, but by how profoundly we cherish the moments that will never come again.” – MJ Martin
The Quiet Footsteps of Time
Someone once told me that time was a predator, silently stalking us from our first breath, relentlessly pursuing us toward an ending none of us can escape. It is a haunting perspective, one that transforms every passing year into a reminder of what we stand to lose.
But I have never believed that fear should define our relationship with mortality.
A predator seeks to take something from us.
A different perspective is to consider time as a constant companion,
In stark contrast, a companion offers something in return.
Life is not simply a countdown toward an inevitable conclusion. It is an extraordinary collection of experiences, relationships, discoveries, and emotions. Its beauty lies not in the promise of permanence, but in the privilege of experiencing it at all.
One encourages us to fear what lies ahead, while the other invites us to appreciate what we have been given.
I choose to believe in the companion.
Perhaps our greatest mistake is believing that because something cannot last forever, it somehow becomes less meaningful.
I believe precisely the opposite.
The Poetry of Passing Seasons
Here in Canada, nature reminds us that beauty and impermanence are inseparable. Spring brings renewal, summer offers warmth, autumn paints the landscape in magnificent colours, and winter settles upon the world with its quiet dignity.
We treasure these seasons because each offers something the others cannot.
Human existence follows a similar pattern. Youth brings discovery and possibility. Middle age offers responsibility, accomplishment, and understanding. Later years can bring wisdom, reflection, and a deeper appreciation of life’s simplest pleasures.
Gradually, our definition of happiness changes.
The warmth of someone’s hand. The laughter of an old friend. An unexpected embrace. A lingering kiss. The peaceful intimacy of sitting beside someone we love, knowing that nothing needs to be said.
These are not insignificant moments between life’s greater events. They are life itself.
The Beauty of What We Cannot Keep
We devote extraordinary energy to acquiring possessions, pursuing ambitions, and establishing something that might outlast us.
Yet, the experiences that enrich us most cannot be purchased or preserved.
We cannot reclaim childhood, repeat a perfect afternoon, or prevent those we love from growing older. We can only recognize their importance while they remain part of our lives.
There is sadness in this understanding, but also an exquisite tenderness.
A rose is not less beautiful because its petals eventually fall. A sunset does not lose its magnificence because darkness follows. Nor does love become less meaningful because our earthly existence is finite.
The possibility of loss should never prevent us from embracing the joy of having loved.
The Measure of a Life
I have come to believe that what we leave behind is far less important than how we lived.
We may be remembered for our achievements, but we are loved for something much more personal.
Our kindness. Our generosity. Our willingness to listen, to forgive, and to remain beside others when life becomes difficult.
A thoughtful word can restore someone’s confidence. A compassionate gesture can ease another person’s suffering. The affection we give may continue to influence lives long after our own have ended.
Perhaps our true legacy is not measured by what bears our name, but by the warmth that remains in the hearts of those who knew us.
The Privilege of Being Mortal
Growing older has taught me that a meaningful life is not necessarily an extraordinary one.
It is enough to have loved sincerely, laughed wholeheartedly, faced adversity with courage, and found gratitude in ordinary pleasures.
There will inevitably be disappointments, heartbreak, and painful goodbyes. But sorrow is often evidence that something mattered deeply. We grieve because we have loved, and we remember because we were fortunate enough to share something beautiful.
I do not wish to spend my remaining years regretting yesterday or fearing tomorrow. I would rather appreciate the sunlight through the trees, the sound of rain against a window, and the familiar presence of those who make this world feel like home.
When my journey reaches its conclusion, I hope I will have lived with more gratitude than regret, more compassion than judgment, and more love than fear.
We are only mortal. We were never promised forever.
But perhaps forever was never the point.
Perhaps the purpose of life is to love deeply, live beautifully, and leave a little more kindness in the world than we found when we arrived.
Time is not the enemy of a life well lived. It is the companion that reminds us why every moment matters.
About the Author:
Michael Martin is the Vice President of Technology with Metercor Inc., a Smart Meter, IoT, and Smart City systems integrator based in Canada. He has more than 40 years of experience in systems design for applications that use broadband networks, optical fibre, wireless, and digital communications technologies. He is a business and technology consultant. He was a senior executive consultant for 15 years with IBM, where he worked in the GBS Global Center of Competency for Energy and Utilities and the GTS Global Center of Excellence for Energy and Utilities. He is a founding partner and President of MICAN Communications and before that was President of Comlink Systems Limited and Ensat Broadcast Services, Inc., both divisions of Cygnal Technologies Corporation (CYN: TSX).
Martin served on the Board of Directors for TeraGo Inc (TGO: TSX) and on the Board of Directors for Avante Logixx Inc. (XX: TSX.V). He has served as a Member, SCC ISO-IEC JTC 1/SC-41 – Internet of Things and related technologies, ISO – International Organization for Standardization, and as a member of the NIST SP 500-325 Fog Computing Conceptual Model, National Institute of Standards and Technology. He served on the Board of Governors of the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) [now Ontario Tech University] and on the Board of Advisers of five different Colleges in Ontario – Centennial College, Humber College, George Brown College, Durham College, Ryerson Polytechnic University [now Toronto Metropolitan University]. For 16 years he served on the Board of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), Toronto Section.
He holds three master’s degrees – in business (MBA), communication (MA), and education (MEd). As well, he has three undergraduate diplomas and seven major certifications in business, computer programming, internetworking, project management, media, photography, and communication technology. He has completed over 80 next generation MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses) [aka Micro Learning] continuous education programs in a wide variety of topics, including: Economics, Python Programming, Internet of Things, Cloud, Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive systems, Blockchain, Agile, Power BI, Big Data, Design Thinking, Security, Indigenous Canada awareness, and more.
Martin is a volunteer, a photographer, a pilot, a learner, a technologist, a philosophizer, and a romantic optimist.