Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is a 2016 dark fantasy film directed by Tim Burton and written by Jane Goldman, based on the 2011 novel by Ransom Riggs. Abe Portman has long shared vivid stories with his grandson Jake about battling monsters and spending his childhood at “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children,” a mysterious place on Cairnholm, an island off the coast of Wales. The home’s children, along with their headmistress Miss Alma Lefay Peregrine, possess extraordinary paranormal abilities and are collectively referred to as “Peculiars.” One day, Jake finds Abe dying under mysterious circumstances, his eyes removed, and hears his final, cryptic words urging him to go to “the loop of September 3, 1943.” From there, the story follows Jake as he grows into his role as both a protector of the Peculiars and a fighter against an impending evil.
Why Do Stories About Time Travel Fascinate Us?
Time travel has long captivated audiences because it challenges one of the most fundamental aspects of human existence: the passage of time. Time is unilateral—we remember the past, act in the present, and remain blind to the future. And yet, we possess an innate ability to imagine and forecast, dreaming of possibilities while fearing the unknown. Stories like Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children invite us to fantasize about bending time’s rules—whether to undo past mistakes, reunite with lost loved ones, or alter history.
At its core, these stories reflect a universal longing: the desire to defy mortality and the irreversible nature of time. But by indulging in these fantasies, we sometimes forget the most profound truth of all: the finite and precious nature of time in our real lives.
Are We Truly Making the Most of Our Time?
As fleeting beings on this earth, we are granted only a limited number of years, yet so often we find ourselves caught in routines that neither fulfill us nor make us feel alive. It’s often only through the jolt of tragedy—or, more rarely, moments of joy—that we pause and reflect on how little time we truly have. This awareness is captured by the Latin phrase “Memento Mori,” meaning “remember your mortality.” Historically, artists and philosophers have meditated on this theme to remind us to live meaningfully and with humility.
Despite this understanding, many of us fail to align our daily actions with our core values. Take health, for instance. It consistently ranks as one of the highest priorities for people, yet studies repeatedly show our collective negligence toward it. We know the harms of excessive social media use, smoking, poor nutrition, and lack of exercise—yet how often do we actively work to counter these habits?
How Can Awareness of Mortality Transform Our Relationships?
Recognizing our own mortality—or that of our loved ones—can drastically shift how we value our time. When we understand that life is fragile and impermanent, we may feel compelled to more fully cherish the moments we share with those we care about. For many of us, life feels stable; we live in peaceful times, removed from imminent threats. Yet, history and reality remind us that wars break out, accidents happen, and environmental catastrophes loom.
Living in Japan, I am constantly reminded of life’s fragility. This country faces a unique combination of natural disasters—earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, and even volcanic eruptions in certain regions. Such unpredictability seems to instill a cultural awareness of time’s fleeting nature, encouraging people to live with a sense of purpose and urgency.
Will You Make the Most of Your Time?
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children offers not only a thrilling exploration of time loops and peculiar abilities but also an opportunity to reflect on how we perceive and value time in our lives. While we cannot bend time like in the story, we can choose to make the most of it.
How do you cherish the time you have? Do you align your daily actions with your values, or are you caught in the endless cycle of routine? Let’s discuss—what steps can we take to live more intentionally and meaningfully?
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