Enjoying the Complexities of Life

I was asked to write something beautiful and bright in a challenging time of life. I’ll admit, the task seems daunting. I’ve struggled in these last few weeks of confusion. 

There are individuals in the world who amaze us with their ability to see beauty in the face of tribulation. Writer Maya Angelou has inspired generations of women and many Holocaust survivors maintain that life is a gift. Of course, it feels foolish to liken this current situation to those who have experienced such atrocities, but it is not foolish to take heart in their testament. 

I’ve stood in darkness before, that of heartbreak, betrayal, that of family discord and depression. These periods of darkness have taught me to rejoice in the goodness that remains, the goodness that is there all along. But this isn’t a trite call to “enjoy the simple things” in life, because pain and loss are simple enough and something we’ve all experienced in its myriad forms.  

But what about enjoying the complexities of life? There are things in life we don’t understand, things we never will, like why a lover left or why someone is sick. There are things you work toward that never manifest, there are disappointments that sting for ages. In every living thing, there is a cycle: Inception, birth, life, death, renewal. 

We live through many cycles of life, some long, some short, each full of beauty in its complexity, each offering something we couldn’t have learned or known before, each equipping us with another level on which to connect, to empathize, to create. 

The road ahead is long, and I’m already weary. The struggle is real, it will only become realer. We are entering a time of loss. For some the loss will be great. It may be their livelihood or even a loved one.

For most of us, the losses will be sacrificial. We’re each being asked to make sacrifices that contribute to the greater good. You cannot know how many lives you are saving by staying home, but you can know that you are. For too long we have allowed ourselves to live individually, in pursuit of our own glory, our own happiness. We've forgotten the ancient ways of living communally, living as one part of one whole, living a life dedicated to the collective good. 

In this space of darkness, humanity has been given a gift: A moment of pause. The space between the notes. The entire world is on hold, and you will likely never get this opportunity in life again. Who have you been meaning to call? Who needs to know you love them? Who needs to hear your apology? Who needs to ask you for forgiveness? What have you been stifling?

If anything, the beauty of this situation is a chance for unification in a world divided. Just as it is a defining time in your life, so is it in everyone’s life. This will be a time of empathy, of understanding, of collaboration, of innovation. Take heart in life’s complexities, and the beauty that is revealed only because you’re there to see it. 

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” —Anne Frank