What is the meaning of our existence when we know we are going to die some day? What is the meaning of having relationships with someone when you already foresee the end of your relationship? I always ask myself this type of question, and I never actually figure out the answer.
Our life is short, and each of us is just a particle in the universe. We mean nothing to the universe. But to ourselves and our family, we are unique and precious. My high school was an all girls private Catholic school. Everyone had a similar life. We took classes, did homework, participated in extracurricular activities, and returned home. No one struggled with immigrant issues; no one was afraid of genocide; no one struggled with the harm brought on by natural disasters. We shared a similar family background, and similar life experiences. But it was totally different once I got to college. Everyone in college has different family backgrounds. I’ve met students who never study and drink all day; I’ve met students who study so hard just to earn a scholarship, so they might be able to afford tuition.
“Natural disasters could be a form of punishment for humans since we pollute the environment,” I said.
She responded, “Do you know where I come from? Sichuan. We had this earthquake several years ago that brought our family a huge economic loss. My father’s factory was badly damaged,”
I regret what I said to her. We are all connected as human beings, and some of us will pay for others’ irresponsible acts.
Life is always about reflecting on oneself and exploring the meaning of our existence. Generations pass quickly, but our wisdom is left to future generations. We are all human. We are empathetic toward the tragic events happening around the world. What we can do is make ourselves strong enough to help other people in need. What happened in the past has passed: the wars, the genocide, and we cannot change the past. But we can prevent it from happening again in the future.
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