November 3, 2025
For small creatures such as we, the vastness is bearable only through love.
Carl Sagan
My kids are really into the solar system right now, and it’s bringing out my inner science nerd. I quiz them on planetary trivia during drives and walks, and this weekend found myself on NASA’s Space Place website (circa 2000 I would surmise).
Remembering that we are on a giant rock spinning on its axis, orbiting a massive burning ball, teetering on the precipice of life, is a wonderful reminder of how small we really are. And at the same time, how grateful we can be to be here at all. This is the ultimate juxtaposition of life: that on the one hand, we are so cosmically insignificant that nothing matters, and yet it is all a gift of immeasurable value and extremely small odds just to be here.
You can oscillate between these two views, and I have found the best place to be is somewhere in the middle but leaning towards gratitude and awe. That we’re here, I’m writing this, and you’re reading this - what are the odds? Why worry? We’re here, and that’s enough for love.