Sometimes I don’t know whether to fall on my knees in thanks for how good I have it, or curl up in a
fetal position. Life is such a breathtaking gift, and yet a burden of
Herculean proportions. We go careening through space and time,
projectiles in that great
pinball game of life.
Death is a constant threat, a daily presence, and
life’s only true certainty.
I’m not well off by any standard, but in proportion to the planet’s population, I’m at the top of the pyramid. A majority of us here on Everything2 live in places where 80% of the local population lives a life of hedonistic comfort a Roman Senator would envy, much less a Third World sneaker-factory worker.
But then again life can get pretty bumpy, no matter how thick your cushion is. Parents die. Friends and family die. Pets die. You have to labor each day, or die. You could get cancer/SARS/AIDS/Hepatitis/Dropsy. A thief/crack addict/angry husband/jealous wife/boyfriend/girlfriend could murder you. A terrorist could destroy (insert favorite target) with you in it. A war could take your house/village/town/city/state/country/livelihood/life from you at almost any time. You have to pay the rent.
But the days when I see the world around me, I remember that life is truly sacred. However we wound up here, and no matter how hard it can be, Life is worth living, and I am thankful and grateful to be alive. (When I'm not curled up into a ball, that is.)