I was recently reminded of the time one of my clocks stopped working. I put a new battery in, and immediately it started ticking again—backwards! When I showed it to my husband he laughed and said he was feeling younger already.

The memory was the perfect accompaniment to another task I’ve been doing lately: cleaning out cabinets, separating trash from treasure. One of the treasures I came across was this old picture of my mom, taken when she was a teen. She and her own mom made the Snow White costume for my mom to wear to a Halloween party they were hosting. I have pictures of people dunking for apples with a table filled with scads of food in the background, a decorated basement and various costumes typical of the time. Girls dressed like old men in their father’s then-stylish suits, topped with ties and bowler hats, others posing as Betty Boop or hula girls. Innocent fun compared to some of the depictions of Halloween today, I guess!

My mom’s been gone over eight years now, and as I recall her life it’s hard to imagine her as the teen of this picture. It’s fun to remember that both my mom and her sister, after raising families of their own, would sometimes dress up when answering the door on Halloween to hand out candy. On another occasion I remember my mom gathering all us six kids, our spouses and kids for another Halloween party. Although this time she was dressed as a fairy princess, she told me her all-time favorite costume was Snow White. With the wistful tone of her voice, I totally believed her, and finding this old picture with the same smile on her face confirms it.

I guess this is all on my mind because despite today’s hot weather, it’s nearly the start of another new season. Regardless of my faulty clock, time never goes backwards. Today I’m getting together with a woman who has been my friend since we first met back in fourth grade. I’m blessed to say we have one of those timeless relationships that during various seasons when life took us in different directions, we were always able to pick up our friendship again no matter how much time has gone by. These days we live less than an hour apart, so we’ve made it a point to meet on a regular basis. We’ve both learned if you don’t prioritize time, other demands too easily waste it away.

Today’s post is a bit of a mind-ramble, but I think it comes with this reminder: time goes on faster than we think, so make sure you’re spending it in a way you can look back on with a smile!