By Jude Huck-Reymond

I was awakened this morning before the sun rose to intense feelings of impermanence. The realization came to me that someday far in the future my lover would be no more, and I would be forced to live a life in her absence. Then I thought of my mother, how wonderful it is to have her support, to feel her love, and to experience her beauty. I realized that even sooner she would not be in my life any longer, and exist only in my imagination. I was soon reminded that every single person in my life is flying towards the end of their time with me on this Earth and in this universe. Just as I am flying toward the end of my time here with you.

Impermanence is potentially the hardest challenge that humans are faced with as conscious, mortal beings. The greatest tragedy is when someone does not realize the significance of someone’s presence until their presence is no more. They did not realize that they were impermanent, and so they may not have taken advantage of every single moment they had the privilege to spend with them. They may not have communicated their gratitude or their love towards them that they could’ve when they were still alive. They may live a life of regret and depression after that person dies because realizations of their impermanence only appeared once the impermanence had already manifested.

However, we should not fear impermanence, but instead, embrace it in every moment of our lives. Realize every single aspect of the impermanence around you. Remind yourself of it every moment of every day, or as often as you can. In every flower you have the privilege of seeing, in every meeting, lecture, meal, or workout you experience, and in every moment you get with every single person you encounter. Every moment of our lives is fleeting from us as quickly as it comes. When we remind ourselves of the impermanence all around us, we realize the true beauty of our reality. We can look at our loved ones with intense feelings of joy simply because they are standing there right in front of us. We can notice the birds, grass, trees, and insects around us and see the full effect of their presence on this planet. We can more deeply understand the dynamics of our world and the nature of reality. One day the Earth will be no more, the next day our sun will be no more, eventually, our Milky Way will be no longer, and maybe someday, time itself could end altogether, and the universe as we know it will not exist. So fully cherish the moment you have right now, and be grateful for every moment you have in the future.