“Isn’t it amazing to exist?” This is what I said to a friend of mine recently. It is understandably a bit of a puzzling declaration.
When you think about it, though, existence itself is the foundation for all other blessings. It is the door through which all else flows. You might call it the Alpha Blessing.
And yet, how often do we really stop and think about that? The gift of existence itself. We have been born, and from here we go on into eternity.
The friend I was speaking to came back to me with a label for this positive sentiment: Optimistic Existentialism. (I should note that “optimistic existentialism” is an existing term that often means something different than what I am expressing here. However, also in the words of my friend: “Hippity hoppity this label is now our property.” So I’m rolling with it.)
Sometimes we say people are experiencing an “existential crisis.” And usually that’s a bad thing. It seems to me there could be an opposite experience, though. The full weight of existential realization, but instead of a crisis, an avalanche of gratitude.
In 2024, I saw (that is, paid actual attention to) the family and friends around me - alive and decently healthy and part of my life. I saw the health I had - imperfect but loads better than 2023 when I could hardly walk at times. I saw the wisdom I had gained over the years. I saw how many days were sunny instead of just taking those beautiful days for granted. Heck, I noticed the sunrise more, sitting in my library each morning watching the sky grow brighter outside the window. (I do not have a real view of “the sunrise” since my window faces West, but the sky still brightens as it rises.)
My Optimistic Existentialism just compounds how wonderful it all is, simply by noticing and acknowledging all the glory around me.
And of course, I am not naive. Part of this feeling is only strengthened by the knowledge that it won’t last. Friends and family will get sick and die. I myself will get sick and die. One day these mid-life eyes and fingers will be old and perhaps unable to watch the sun rising or sit down to write every day. Heaven may stretch on into an eternity of joy, but this current life on Earth does not.
So it goes. In the meantime I’m appreciating the Now with all I’ve got. One eye toward the future, but one squarely on the goodness of the present moment.
How cool is it to exist? Wow.