Measuring life in moments

Aaron Zhu
Aaron Zhu
Sep 3, 2018 · 3 min read
“two person sitting under rock monolith” by Brooke Lark on Unsplash

The split second when we caught each other’s eyes, strolling around under the starry night, locking ourselves up in paradise. We can reminisce about our sweetest moments but, we can never go back. The seconds, minutes, hours of that we wish would last forever become a memory and after some time, a cherished remembrance is nothing but an abstract thought like something we read out of a fictional story. Times like these when we remember and relive those little moments, we have nothing more to do than to give thanks.

It is hard to feel something in this world when you are beaten down and tested constantly by life. Especially living in the city, life is more of a shark tank than a garden. We are just crabs in a bucket trying to one-up each other when in reality, if we worked together, we would all be able to escape. But that’s how life is and it’s alright. The fire and the fury that is brought unto us are the spicy moments in life; the challenges that appear before us fuel the flame of our desire until we emerge as diamonds, beautiful but more importantly, indestructible.

Then there are the sweeter moments in life. The moments that are filled with love, graciousness, desire and affection. Looking back at these memories, we learn that the chronology of our lives can be expressed by those sweet little moments. Like that time in elementary school when we first experienced puppy love and sharing our affection meant sharing our snacks and resting close to one another during nap time. Then in middle school when drama naturally ensued and we found that first special person that believed in us. Finally, the time we spent with the person we believed was “the one” and love truly felt like forever.

As things go, life is just a collection of sweet and sour moments. As we move forward, we experience different things and share those moments with different beings. Therefore, perhaps time doesn’t have to be a nominal number. The day and nights may come because the Earth spins, but what makes us spin? What turns and changes us? The metaphorical days and nights of our lives may be measured in moments and people. Our personal development and the way we shape the world exist in the moments when we were deeply affected, and our grand experiences that are now mere memories.

Good or bad, memories are always bittersweet. It may hurt when you remember the good times, however, it’s a beautiful type of pain that evokes tears of joy. Call me crazy but sometimes I close my eyes and manifest myself in the beautiful places I have been. On the other hand, remembering the bad times is incredibly invigorating because we have crossed through the den of the beasts and arrived at Eden. A lot of times when I look back at the bad moments, I audibly laugh at how silly or clueless I once was.


Let’s take a moment to appreciate the good and bad moments of our lives that make us who we are. Thank you for the challenges that pressured us into diamonds. Thank you for the sorrow that made us into better people. Thank you for the love and affection that made us feel complete. Thank you for the memories, the feelings, the pain and the bliss. Thank you for making us feel alive.