24 : 15,777 Days - Something New

43.195 Years

I simply cannot fathom that I have been in the world for exactly 15,777 days! That is an incredible 15,777 sunrises and sunsets since I was born. It is so hard to imagine that the young child featured in those black and white photographs of my childhood is actually me. That my body was once that small, mind so full of wonder and so innocent, so much yet to discover. To think of those many years between birth and now is incredible, mind boggling. 

I feel as though I have already lived many lives within this one lifetime as I have packed so much in; yet I feel as though I have so much more to experience. The changes in the world between 1971 and the present day have been monumental, for example the reason I know I have been alive for 15,777 days is because there is an app for that! I wondered aloud to my husband about how many days I have lived through when he pulled out his iPhone 6 and seconds later we had the answer, just like that! Yet during the those days that I was a young toddler pushing an old fashioned toy pram (modern for then I'm sure) a sum like that would have had to be worked out manually. Still possible, just more time consuming and would either have to be done on a calculator or even pen and paper.

I have enjoyed watching the jelly bean analogy by Ze Frank where he uses the average life of approximately 28,385 days to visually represent a lifetime using a jelly bean for each year of life.  It is an interesting watch, he estimates we spend 8,477 days sleeping, 3,202 days working and even 2,676 days watching TV. Obviously this would be different for each of us, but the point is that once you take out all the mundane and necessary parts of life there isn't a whole lot of time left for basically doing whatever you want. It is a simple and easy to understand visual reminder to live life for the moment, to remember to enjoy each and every day and most of all to not waste it worrying and stressing about things out of your control.

Today I realised, like it or not, good or bad, that I have already used up 15,777 days from this lifetime and I don't get any back. Instead I have to look back and accept it all, which I do and I am very thankful for so many of the wonderful experiences and achievements I have had already. I chose a long time ago to not live my life with regrets, but I do struggle at times with the enormity of it all. Of understanding how much time has passed and all the things that have happened. It's why I love photographs so much; capturing a moment in time that becomes a memory the instant the trigger is clicked, already a part of the past. I enjoy looking back over my life using photographic reminders of the many fond memories and wonderful moments. Today was special because I chose to make the most of it, I was reminded of the many days that I have already accomplished and the memories that I get to carry with me into the future. 

Today I was reminded that I have yet to live the rest of my life, to get as much out of it as I can. To love the ones that are important, not waste a second on those that are not and most of all to treat others with the respect and kindness I expect for myself. To be remembered for the good and not the bad and leave the world a better place than I found it. Simple really!