My mum is a stickler for time. A clock watcher. Even now. Ailing with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and heart failure, her days are influenced by time. She has clocks everywhere in her condominium. One large analogue clock by her bedside wall. Another digital facing her. Two large ones in the lounge and kitchen.

She is time-dictated. It’s important for her to complete, especially, her morning routine – breakfast, medicines, toilet and shower – in the quickest possible time. Then, pray and sleep. She does no cooking. Has no meetings to attend. No schedules to keep. Except for her medicines that are at fairly-flexible but prescribed times. Her days are there to do as she pleases. Yet, she is so precise about time.

Sister number 3, who has been caring for my mum since 3 Nov and will be flying home tomorrow, declared several ‘cuti’ or public holidays, each week, to help my mum time-relax. It worked as she seemed to accept and welcome it. And, she actually relaxed – focussing less on where the hands of the various clocks were/are.

Initially, I thought it was peculiar. My mum has always been a homemaker. She cooked, cleaned and cared for seven children and one husband, full time. A 24×7 occupation. She never had a public holiday like many of us or someone like me, who has worked for a few companies, before I ventured on my own. I clocked-in and out. Looked forward to all the public holidays listed on the calendar, at the start of every new year. My mum didn’t have days off or weekends off. No official rest day except when she was really unwell. Maybe that’s why ‘cuti’ days worked, and are working well with my mum. She’s now enjoying her long overdue owed-to-her public holidays.

I’m the apple that didn’t fall far from the tree. I have a daily to-do list that I try to execute diligently. I know I don’t need permission to slack off at any given time or day. But I feel I can’t and shouldn’t be lazing about. I don’t have lie-ins in the mornings. I fidget. I ruminate. I give up. I get up and get on with the day. I still find that I’m chasing time despite not taking on any paid commissions with deadlines. I don’t believe I’m any slower or inefficient. Distracted, yes. My mum is always on my mind. Admittedly, I like the idea of self-declared ‘cuti’ days. I plan to declare a ‘cuti’ day or two for myself soon.

I try not to be too fixated with time. Even with plans and to-do lists the minutes, hours, days and months have a way of frittering away. I constantly hear my family say that once Monday comes around, the weekdays morph into the weekends. Alas, its Monday again. Hmm… 2020 is a bit of a blur to me. After Covid-19 took over our lives. I have no recollection of what I did over long stretches of time. Other than what is/will be imprinted in my memory – wearing masks, washing hands and avoiding other people during the many iterations of lockdown. One day blended into the next. Much of 2021 felt the same. Inertia. A mixture of weariness and boredom. Too little motivation. Too much Netflix. Too much time wasted.

Time is unequivocally precious. There are many proponents of time management. And, sayings that reflect the importance, relevance and meaning of time by different people. Some of my favourites include:

Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it you can never get it back. Harvey Mackay. True   

How did it get so late so soon? It’s night before it’s afternoon. December is here before it’s June. My goodness how the time has flown. How did it get so late so soon? Dr. Seuss.  Mondays come quickly.   

The trouble is, you think you have time. Jack Kornfield. I used to think so. Not so much now.

It’s not that we have little time, but more that we waste a good deal of it. Seneca. Guilty.

It’s a strange thing, but when you are dreading something, and would give anything to slow down time, it has a disobliging habit of speeding up. J.K. Rowling. Dental appointments come to mind.

The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of sixty minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is. C.S. Lewis. Time doesn’t discriminate.  

There’s only one thing more precious than our time and that’s who we spend it on. Leo Christopher. Agreed.

Time enjoyed with the people I care for and love are always the most memorable and best times of my life.  Me. Very true.