Our Time Under The Sun

Over dinner my brother told me...

If you compare the average lifespan of a human being to the age of the earth, which is 4.55 billion years old, you will realize that our lives are so insignificant in the whole scheme of things. 

And yet, our desires consume us and our problems make us feel it is the end of the world. Mathematically, that's impossible. 

At best, you can do something brilliant (or something stupid) and several generations will remember you. 

At best, you become a memory.

My brother is so smart noh? And yes, we talk like this.

If you have the most basic understanding of astrophysics, you will realize that the cosmos is older than the earth and even bigger than we can ever imagine. The universe is so vast. I'm 100% sure there are other lifeforms out there. 

Putting things in perspective, our lives with all its joys, worries and problems, are so fleeting and insignificant. 

99.9% of us will most likely die without the world's population knowing our names. 

King Solomon said...


Everything is meaningless. 

What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun?

Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. 

The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises.

The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes,

ever returning on its course.

All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full.

To the place the streams come from, there they return again.

All things are wearisome, more than one can say.

The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing.

What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again;

There is nothing new under the sun.

Is there anything of which one can say,  “Look! This is something new”?

It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time.

No one remembers the former generations  and even those yet to come

will not be remembered by those who follow them.

......

Therefore, Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, 

for God has already approved what you do. 

Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days. 

For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. 

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.

Then as we were about to end dinner, my brother said..

"Once humanity proves that there is life in outer space, we will realize how petty our concerns are against each other. Perhaps it is only then that there will be unity. And only when after poverty and sickness will cease, will we achieve peace. Until then, we will be divided and we will fight on just about anything. " 

I wrote this post because just this afternoon, mama told me that a friend of my cousin killed himself.  

(Photo from dezzandcarol.com)

He was going through something very tough. Many will never understand why he did what he did. People should not judge.

We all go through dark times. Sometimes it feels as we are drowning or going walking through a dark tunnel that never seems to end. 

It is worth to take a step back and look up to sky and think about how small our problems and how short our lives are relative to the whole universe. Perhaps, when we grasp this... We can let go and just accept our fate and enjoy our time under the sun, because really that's the best we can do.

Our "time under the sun" is so short.  Our worries will not cause the end of the world. Our riches will not makes our lives any longer. We can not bring our richness with us. Our health will eventually deteriorate. Our wisdom will eventually disappear alongside our memories. We will all die. And yet...the earth and the universe will continue to exist long after we are gone.

We are like tourists here on earth. We have a single entry 100-years visa. Take in the sights, eat the food, listen to the music and do good. Just enjoy the view and be grateful for our time under the sun. That's the best we can do.

Sad,

L