Over time, I have noticed that the moments in our lives begin to become fewer and fewer as we age. My parents would initiate moments by asking about my day, what I learned at school, and if I had behaved. These are moments I still remember to this day, moments such as when I knew the answer to a question because of a video game, and when I lied about getting a green happy face sticker when I got a red, mad face sticker for my behavior chart that day. I remember moments with friends in middle school when we hung out around Brooklyn and ate pizza all the time. I remember moments with my brother when I gave in to his begging and played hide and seek with him around our apartment when there was no place to hide.
Now, moments like these can be far and few between. We trade these moments in favor of responsibility, discipline, and focusing ourselves on everything from education to jobs to applications for career-building opportunities.
We then often find ourselves wondering where happiness has gone. Where the feeling of fulfillment had escaped too. Are we satisfied just by studying and education? Or by chasing our career goals? Perhaps we do find moments in our places of study, or in the places we work. However, it isn’t usual to see family here, a pivotal holder of moments.
Having a younger sibling, surely, helps others to notice the importance of moments. All they care about at such a young age is moments. They want to spend moments with others, creating the most enjoyable moments they can. It’s a harsh realization for some, once they realize they avoided moments with their younger siblings for goals that served only themselves. They even display moments when they are alone and with their own thoughts. It is a struggle for many who have grown and feel the weight of the world on their shoulders, to have moments with themselves, especially when those moments can be difficult to handle. These moments are perhaps, the most important in our lives, because we discover ourselves, just as our younger siblings discovered their favorite things through playing with toys on their own.
A moment in the universe will span our entire lifespan. And yet, a moment in our lifespan is nothing within the timeline of the universe. But the moments that can be had are all different in nearly infinite ways, both subtle and large. With this, there can never truly be a dull moment. That is why we often have favorite moments in our lives, a select few memories we hold dear because it was far more special than the rest. Whether it be because we felt something we never felt before or felt something we never felt so strongly before, or because it was an experience we never experienced before, it just happens to have a bigger impact on us than anything before. Our lifetimes are the culmination of these moments, influencing us and guiding us, and we must do everything we can to ensure we continue to experience those moments.
There’s a sense of relatability within this piece, I find that we often overlook the process of maturing and it causes us to overlook key moments within our lives to move onto the next stage. This piece opened my eyes to the overlooked factor of maturing, and really highlights the family time that I’d take for granted.
Hey Jan I really liked your project. The message in your video was very apparent and relatable to me. The video was short, but there was beauty in its simplicity. Even though it was short, and even though the dialogue was limited, I was able to gather your perspective and understand it myself. The video reminds me that I need to be more appreciative of the time I have with my family.
I really enjoyed watching the process behind your work develop. From seeing it before your mom was featured to the final project, it came along so nicely. My favorite part is when your brother leaves and the angle zooms out. I’m not sure if that was intentional or an accident with the focus, but it was beautiful.
I really appreciate what this projects reminds all of us to do. It is so important to think about the people in our life who dedicate their time and care to us, and to make sure that we do the same in return. I love how you got your family involved in the video. They did such a great job!
I really enjoyed ur project. It was something that I felt like I could relate to, especially because I also find myself drifting away from my parents and my younger brother as I start to get older. It reminded me that even though we are so busy, we should really take time to spend time with loved ones.