Time

Tick tock tick tock - it goes by mercilessly, relentlessly.  This metered flow of life cannot be stopped or altered.  Magnanimous, it encompasses all of the human emotions, yet is none of them.  Time, a vacuum, a space to hold life, and bury death.  A force to be reckoned with.  Seemingly imperceptible, apparently insignificant, absolutely consequential.

With the cold indifference of a serial killer, and the intuitive wisdom of a forest, this progression of moments allows for anything and then sets about in the work of healing it.  That this entity sadistically and graciously containing our lives is a neutral beast is, perhaps, the hardest pill to swallow.  There is no kind hand that buffers our existence when tragedies hit, or gives  us a pat on the back when triumphs prevail (except maybe our mother's) no, it's all grist for the mill.  Whichever way the cookie crumbles is the way the cookie crumbles; you don't get brownie points for effort or extra suffering.  Funny, isn't it?

Time is a great leveler.  It favors no one, tethering us all to the same boat and it's of no use trying to speed it up or slow it down.  Ruthless, it grinds and sifts but also, blessedly, elevates and cheers all the while meandering serenely through its set course, bringing everyone to the same destination.  And if we are patient and wait with grace, we will see the fruit of our labors.  After all, aren't oysters rewarded for their effort?