A comment was made in jest at work today: “life sucks and then you die.” It sat with me long after, even though it was a throwaway comment of frustration concerning one aspect of the person’s life.

There is indeed suffering in this life; it might even be inescapable. Attachment certainly breeds it, and perhaps the powerful physical forces of the universe, outside our control, utterly and completely prevent any permutation of reality without suffering.

And yet, we are alive. We’re turned on. We get to sense and feel and experience. How could we possibly yearn for darkness compared to this? No one knows what’s beyond the veil, what’s possible in the void or whether we are still “here.” It seems prudent to practice gratitude for life, to fully appreciate and experience all that this incredible universe has to offer. Because it’s amazing. And we have the power to make it even better, together.