Can Reconsidering Our Relationship to Time Help Keep Us Present?

At times, like when I am playing with my daughters, I want those moments to linger on, knowing they won’t last. At other times, I want to relish a sense of victory or accomplishment and freeze it for all posterity. And of course, there are some times, like busy hectic mornings, that I’d rather compress away. It feels paradoxical that we forget about the time in which we are truly enjoying ourselves and recall the drudgery when time seems to hang in the air. In rheuminating about what Greg mentioned, I’m now seeing how vital it is to be mindful of the happy times and ensure that we have a sense of control over the time we spend.

Greg is coming back to clinic in about six months. I’m looking forward to hearing his stories and his accomplishments from the moment I enter the examination room. I would be lucky to be in that flow state as I talk with Greg about how, hopefully, his back pain and morning stiffness are more manageable. Those six months between now and then are going to pass very quickly, but I hope to make every moment between now and then worthy of remembering.

Bharat Kumar, MD, MME, FACP, FAAAAI, RhMSUS, is the director of the rheumatology fellowship training program at the University of Iowa, Iowa City, and the physician editor of The Rheumatologist. Follow him on X @BharatKumarMD.

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