Cycle of life

Today marks a pretty significant event in my young life so far - one of my very best friends since middle school is having her baby. I couldn't be more excited for her, her family and for her to start this new chapter in her life.

Aside from that note, a couple entries ago I mentioned I started The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. I can't help but experience the range of emotions that accompanies Randy's situation every time I turn the page, but the feeling that seems to wash over me most is the sting of tears about to fall. Randy's story is inspiring, motivating, enlightening, yes, but it is also sad. Every time he mentions the future and anything about his kids and wife, it makes me sad for them for having to grow up without the company of this incredible person.

Earlier after I stopped reading, I truly realized something: the world keeps turning. This amazing man ended his battle with cancer in the summer of 2008. My friend's son will have never even been in the same world as Randy, and some day he will know a world without me. Every day the sun rises and sets like clockwork, and every night the moon shines brightly over us. Each day countless people end their saga and each day those people are replaced by newborn babies waiting to write their own.

Everybody is subject to this cycle. Humans seem to think they are immortal sometimes or that they are the most important thing on earth, but that's obviously far from true. No matter who you are, once you leave, the world still spins. Cities keep buzzing and people keep humming. This thought has to be humbling to those who stumble upon it, however, just because the world doesn't end when you do, doesn't mean your legacy ends too. Randy, whole or not, still has the opportunity to impact people like my friend's newborn baby.

The moral of my story is to realize what a small part of the world you really are. Your car troubles or work problems are insignificant in the scheme of things. So on those days when you wake up, mad at the world, just remember - you're only wasting the time you do have with these minor problems. Having fun and being optimistic about your day is the only way to make each one truly count, so that one day you might be able to leave a legacy as strong as Randy Pausch's.