“Life is never perfect. We all live some form of Option B. It’s not a straight path; instead, it’s more like a winding road, full of unexpected turns and detours.â
We are all passengers in this crazy ride called life, clinging to the seats as we twist and turn. All of us have our unique paths, our own sets of challenges. Sometimes we are soaring high, feeling invincible. Other times, we are gripping the rails for dear life, questioning our destination. There’s a raw beauty in the chaos, a strength in the struggle.
“For each thorn, there’s a rosebud… For each twilight – a dawn… For each trial – the strength to carry on, For each storm cloud – a rainbow… For each shadow – the sun… For each parting – sweet memories when sorrow is done.”    Â
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
Life is all about discovering brightness in the midst of darkness and holding onto hope when everything seems hopeless.
Itâs not all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a brutal, often unfair, game. Thereâs a harsh reality to it, a kind of âlaw of the jungleâ where all of us fight for our place. From the moment we were pushed into this world, we got on this rollercoaster ride filled with ups and downs, joys and sorrows. We experience the full range of human emotions – love, loss, happiness, heartbreak, and everything in between. It’s a journey of self-discovery, tinged with both success and failures.
A Cry for Life: The Beginning
After about nine months of silent gestation, life’s journey begins with a single, heart-wrenching cry. A tiny, helpless being, hurled into a world filled with both miracles and dangers. Wrapped in the sterile embrace of a hospital, we take our first breath, a declaration of existence. Everything is new, everything is overwhelming. You’re a tabula rasa, ready to be painted with the colors of life.
The Golden Years: Innocence Unbound
Childhood is a magical blur of scraped knees, choco bars, and endless possibilities. We explore the world with boundless curiosity, our imaginations running wild. Friends turn into our confidants and our partners in crime. Yet, underneath all the belly laughs and games, a deeper understanding of life begins to form. We begin to understand what it means to lose something⊠sometimes it starts with the torment of saying goodbye to our favorite pets or toys. It’s a painful introduction to life’s impermanence.
Stormy Seas: The Adolescent Years
Adolescence is a stormy sea, a rollercoaster of emotions where we are constantly thrown off balance. Hormones rage, bodies change, and self-doubt creeps in. We struggle with the rapid changes inside us as we wonder if we are growing or just peeling off the various layers of our former selves, searching for a place to belong. It’s a time of intense self-scrutiny, which thus turns into a constant companion with peer pressure and the fear of not fitting in haunting us day after day. We often find ourselves chasing perfection, comparing ourselves endlessly with others. Under the guise of making our independent choices and not wanting to regret anything, we forgo short-term pleasures for long-term goals.Â
Our relationships become a canvas, painted with strokes of friendship, loyalty, and sometimes, betrayal. We all strive to create that one masterpiece, a bond that can withstand the test of time. However, the fear of rejection and being misunderstood often holds us back. We start doubting our worth and whether our presence on earth truly matters. Self-love then becomes a foreign concept, often replaced by self-doubt and insecurity.
âI could not return to my youth or that street either. Time always flows. Everything passes by and ages. That might be why youth is beautiful. Because it shines, blindingly bright at a brilliant short moment. But you can never go back (to it). A time when many tears were shed â like my youth.â
-Deok Sun, Reply 1988
Adulthood: The Balancing Act
Adulthood hits us like a ton of bricks. Those carefree days of youth are replaced by the weight of responsibilities. Careers, relationships, and bills become the new usual. Love blossoms, hearts break, and life takes a whole new turn. We transition from being sheltered ducklings to facing the world head-on. The harsh realities of life become painfully apparent. That time of growth, of learning to stand on our own two feet, finally arrives.
The beginning, indeed, is isolating, strange, and disorienting, as if one doesn’t belong. But, patience is key. Gradually, the realization dawns, “So this is what it’s all about.”
Itâs a phase of both immense joy and crushing disappointment. The things you regarded as monumental might now seem insignificant, and the disasters you once feared would end your world, turn out to be nothing but a mere bump in the road.
The beginning, indeed, is isolating, strange, and disorienting, as if one doesn’t belong. But, patience is key. Gradually, the realization dawns, “So this is what it’s all about.”
Midlife Reflections: A Quiet Storm
As the years pass, the pace of life seems to accelerate. Children arrive, careers peak, and the first signs of aging appear. The world, once full of endless possibilities, now feels smaller, more manageable. We find comfort in routines, in the familiar. But beneath the surface, a soft terror begins to seep in: the fear of mortality.
Sunset Years: Wisdom’s Embrace
As the years pile on, the body begins to slow down, and the world shrinks. Once vibrant colors fade, the world turns silent with a calm reflection. Indeed, a time for reckoning, looking back at life lived has finally come.Â
There’s some bittersweet beauty about this stage of life. Everything seems to slow down, allowing us to truly appreciate the small things. We start finding solace in nature, in the gentle caress of the sun on our skin. Yet, there’s also an underlying fear, a lingering uncertainty about what the future holds. Death, once a distant concept, is suddenly so much closer. We contemplate our legacy, the impact we’ve had on the world.
We remember the laughter, the tears, the triumphs, and the failures. We replay old memories, searching for meaning, for a sense of purpose. Yet, a creeping loneliness replaces the vivid memories of those happy experiences. As the cold hand of mortality creeps closer, the fear of solitude deepens. Those we counted on to weather life’s storms with us are now distant memories, leaving us to navigate this final chapter of life alone.
Perhaps the greatest gift old age gives is perspective. How clearly we see life through is unimaginable, we finally understand that what truly matters are the connections we have made, the love we have given, and the lessons we have learned.
“To pass through this brief life as nature demands. To give it up without complaint. Like an olive that ripens and falls. Praising its mother, thanking the tree it grew on.”
-Marcus Aurelius
The Final Curtain: A New Beginning
Death, the common fate, finally casts a long, dark shadow. The final chapter concludes, marking the end of a unique story. Yet, within this conclusion a beginning, a transition to something unknown lies filled with both wonder and mystery.
Life is a journey, not a destination. It’s about cherishing the moments, learning from the past, and embracing the future with courage. Setbacks are inevitable. We’ll hit rock bottom, feel lost and alone. But these challenges brew strength within us. They prepare us for our next mountain. Remember, you have overcome adversity before, and you can do it again. You donât have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders⊠let go of the negativity, focus on optimism, and may your legacy be a testament to your pertinence as well as the love you’ve shared.
“Life is heavy and we shouldnât carry all of it at once, we should learn to catch and release.”
-Taylor Swift, 2022, NYU Commencement Speech
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