Nothing is Forever
It's such a double edged sword of a statement, isn't it?
You can interpret it two different ways. On the one hand, you could look at it as a positive- a sort of "this too shall pass" sort of interpretation, where whatever it is that you may be going through that is painful, won't last forever. On the other hand, you could interpret it as a negative- if you're really enjoying something and don't want it to end, or it could just make you think of the general impermanence of life. Like everything in life, it's all about our perspective- and both are true.
This is something I've been mulling over a lot this week. As of this weekend, we've officially had our puppy Niles for 1 year (if you haven't already, def check out this blog post on lessons from a puppy). I was looking back at pics and videos from Niles 1 year ago, and it made me so happy. It's funny because in that moment looking back, I was only thinking about all the great moments of Niles as a puppy. His silliness, his energy, his curiosity, his joy. I wasn't thinking about the days I would bawl my eyes out, wondering if the challenges of Niles would ever end (his never ending energy, his fears and anxieties, etc). It's like it was the highest of highs and the lowest of lows coexisted in a sense. A year later, life with Niles is totally different. There aren't the lowest of lows anymore (and I get those lows are first world problems and not actual catastrophes- but you know what I mean and when you're in the thick of it, it is RUFF). The challenges have become just a part of life and something I know how to deal with at this point, so they don't bring me to tears anymore. And there are still lots of highs as he's still a goofy pup, but not the highest of highs of witnessing a puppy who's new to the world exploring everything for the first time. The moments are impermanent. We say we can't wait for these moments to be behind us, and then somehow, we end up missing them. It's just different when we have perspective.
I also have some friends and family members in my life right now who are going through health challenges. There's nothing that provides more perspective of our impermanence than our health. All the every day things we may gripe about (cleaning the house, errands, cooking, whatever's you're least favorite) become the things we wish we were well enough to do. These moments we dreaded become things we look forward to being able to do again in the future. It's all perspective.
So how do we manage emotions around this idea of impermanence? It's something I'm thinking about a lot. So far what I've come up with is- we have to live in the moment, and make the most of whatever hand we're currently being dealt, because it won't be forever. The good, or the bad. Be in the moment for yourself, and for the people around you. And when those every day irritants come up- someone cuts you off in traffic, you get the feeling someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed that morning- remember that we have no idea what each other is going through. A big reaction to something small is almost never about the small thing getting the reaction. It's someone with big emotions about something that they've been holding in, and a particular situation was the moment they were triggered enough to release some of their pent up feelings. If you can, be the one to bring the light. Maybe they really need it. Or at least try not to take it personally and let it become a domino effect. These are the moments where we can show the best of humanity in times of hurt and pain for others.
And when you're experiencing joy, really really soak it in. Be in the moment. Recognize just how magical this moment you're in really is. It's all fleeting, the good and the bad.
Xo
