Thoughts sparked from Sarcastic Sounds “Someday Soon”
It’s a common refrain, almost cliché: you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. Yet, this simple line captures a profound truth about human experience, one that’s both paradoxical and universal. It speaks to our inability to fully appreciate the present until it becomes the past, to understand the value of what we have until it’s no longer ours. This idea, while seemingly straightforward, reveals deep insights into how we perceive and interact with the world around us.
This hit hard after the birth of our Daughter. Every moment is special but ephemeral - gone before you can even recognise its uniqueness. Followed swiftly by another, different, moment.
It’s only in the absence of something that we truly come to understand its value. This isn’t just about material possessions or external circumstances; it extends to our emotional and psychological states as well. You don’t realize the comfort of normalcy until chaos erupts, nor do you fully appreciate health until illness intrudes. This phenomenon isn’t merely about loss; it’s about contrast and the human condition’s intrinsic need for it to process and appreciate the full spectrum of life.
The phrase “this too shall pass” is key here. The difficulties and unpleasantness of now will pass, always. So to will the good times, always.
This principle has profound implications on how we live our lives. Many of us spend our days chasing tomorrows, fixated on what’s next rather than what is. We’re haunted by past mistakes or paralyzed by the fear of future ones, allowing the present to slip through our fingers like grains of sand. This perpetual forward-looking stance robs us of the joy found in the now, in the simple yet profound beauty of existence. It’s a cycle as old as time, yet each generation seems doomed to learn this lesson anew.
To “smell the roses” is more than just an invitation to pause; it’s a plea to engage fully with the present, to embrace life with all its imperfections and uncertainties. It’s an acknowledgment that life, in all its complexity, is fleeting. The weight of “shouldering the bullshit,” as it were, distracts us from the essence of living. It’s a reminder that the act of holding on too tightly to any aspect of life—be it pain, regret, or even expectation—serves only to hinder our ability to experience life in its fullest.
I feel that there’s hope in this realization. The understanding that “a bit of time will heal your wounds” and that “a little piece of mind was overdue” speaks to the resilience of the human spirit. It’s a recognition that growth often comes from discomfort and that healing is not just possible but inevitable. This isn’t a passive process; it requires active engagement with our experiences, a willingness to confront and process our realities.
The crime, then, is not in experiencing pain or loss, nor in acknowledging our past mistakes. The true crime lies in allowing these experiences to define us, in wasting our youth (or any phase of our life) caught in a cycle of regret or anticipation. Life is an intricate tapestry of moments, each valuable not in spite of but because of its impermanence.
In essence, the paradox of experience teaches us about balance. It’s a delicate dance between appreciating what we have, learning from what we’ve lost, and looking forward with hope to what may come. It’s about finding joy in the journey, not just the destination. This lesson, woven into the fabric of our lives through countless songs, stories, and personal experiences, remains one of life’s most enduring truths.
So, as we navigate the complexities of existence, let us strive to live fully in each moment. Let us learn to appreciate the rain for its nourishment, the pain for its lessons, and the present for its fleeting beauty. For in doing so, we not only honor our own lives but also connect more deeply with the universal human experience—a journey marked by contrasts, shaped by losses, and ultimately defined by our capacity to find meaning and joy amidst it all.