PETERS: Every four years, the calendar gives us the gift of more time

A quadragenarian, so they say. That makes it sound even more ancient.

“Can’t hurry time,” my uncle said to me, “damn well can’t slow it down.”

Time is a more precious commodity than anything you can buy on any commodity market on Earth.

And while the world is rarely generous, occasionally it gives you a little bit more.

Once every four years, to be precise. We call it Leap Day, and we get one tomorrow.

Historically, a lot of very significant things have happened on Leap Day — peace treaties and throne abdications and coups.

And a lot of interesting people are Leap Day babies — including musicians Jimmy Dorsey, Dinah Shore and Ja Rule, hockey players Henri Richard and Cam Ward — and of course, our old friend Henry Small.

In 1712, Sweden actually had a February 30 to link its calendar up with the Julian calendar.

The Leap Day was added to the calendar every four years to reorient us. If we didn’t have it, the seasons would creep earlier and earlier until everything is backwards.

Leap Day gets us back on track.

So it’s a great day for us to get back on track, too.

Maybe a day to do something you know you have needed to do but have been putting off.

Or we could use it as a day to get a relationship back on track — speak to someone you haven’t spoken to in too long.

Leap Day was created to get our proverbial house in order, and we can use it to get our individual houses in order, too.

It’s extra time, given as a gift. As my uncle said, “Let’s enjoy the ride.”

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.

by James Peters

PETERS: Every four years, the calendar gives us the gift of more time

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