Life isn’t easy. Not for any of us walking this planet. Sure, it’s easier for some than other. That level of difficulty is something to discuss another time though. I just want to focus on how truly terrifying and unpredictable life can be for all of us.
Life is fragile. We all know people who have been lost to time because of cancer, violence, or accidents. Many different things take those that we care about, but the end result is always the same… no longer existing. The ability to say (and hear) things like “I love you,” “You’re weird.” or “What made you think of that?” will one day be lost for all of us.
Life is full of the mundane. Daily tasks like eating, working, and sleeping can be dull and exciting at the same time. The hassle of schedules and chores makes life predictable, comfortable, and monotonous. Things as small as a new flavor of tea, or a few minutes alone (or with friends) can give us a break from the long walk into oblivion.
I think that’s why so many people get a pet, or dive into a fandom, or create things themselves. If we didn’t do those things we’d go mad. Some of us do anyways.
Waking up everyday and getting up out of bed is the beginning of bravery. Because, in all honesty, we don’t know what the day holds. Will it be our last? Will our friends and family still be there when we reach for the phone to say hi? Will our favorite author/singer/actress make it through to the next day? Nothing, as they say, is guaranteed in life.
Many of the things we do every day have the ability to end the successful (or not) run we’ve currently got going on in life. Eating? That’s not free of risk. Walking? That isn’t 100% safe either. What about going to the office, attending school, or shopping for groceries? Not necessarily safe from injury or worse either. Yet, we continue to live our lives and do these things because it is necessary to our survival.
One does not have to “jump out of a perfectly good airplane,” as my dad used to say, in order to be brave in this life. One only has to go on living in order to be brave. Life is beautiful, terrifying, and worth living. Don’t ya think?
