Today I am thankful for the passage of time.

This may seem either really obvious or really silly. Let me try to explain.

I recognize that sometimes the passage of time occurs in ways that are less than desirable. There are hints that can show up in the extra lines arount your eyes and mouth when you smile. Perhaps you don’t recover from a night of debauchery as quickly as you used to. Maybe your joints pop and creak far more often than they used to.

But the passage of time can also be really good. It gives you a way to grow out of those awkward teenage years. It lets you gain perspective and an appreciation for things that might otherwise be taken for granted.

The thing that I think I’m most grateful for is moving past the emotional pain that some times in my life have brought.

In the thick of the rough times, it’s incredibly difficult to see that proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. It’s even more difficult to stand there and listen to someone spout, “Time heals all wounds,” without smacking their face off of their face.

And then miraculously, time trudges on, as it always has, and somehow it’s better. Somehow the days are a little brighter, there are fewer reasons to just stay in bed, and things seem positive.

I think about where I am now compared to where I was two years ago, to where I was four years ago, and now is so much better than then.

Another favorite thing about time passing? It can give you the perspective to laugh out loud at the irony of your ex using the same song you used to get over him in order to get over his recent ex.