The Meaning of Life

There have been so many instances in my life when I recognize the sheer magnitude of my insignificance here on earth. One reminder was last winter when I stood on the balcony of our cruise ship just after midnight, looking out at the expanse of darkness that went on forever and ever…and ever, with a blanket of stars illuminating the ocean whitecaps. Bill fell asleep inside the cabin while I stayed out on our private deck as long as I could keep my eyes open. I was simply mesmerized by the beauty and the vastness, contrasted with my little life that felt so small as our mammoth cruise ship bobbed along in the middle of the enormous sea.

That is the type of experience that immerses me into the bigger picture of life, pondering the ultimate question of why we are here. I don’t know that there is necessarily any magical or earth-shattering answer, but I do believe that it has something to do with being our best (which includes following your joy) and loving others.

The exact opposite of that feeling of insignificance happened on Labor Day, two years ago. It was a beautiful sunny holiday and all was quiet in our neighborhood. Bill and I were inside with the windows open, talking about our lives and what we wanted from the upcoming year. Our conversation was horrifyingly and abruptly invaded by an intense screech of brakes on the busy street just outside our front door, followed by a crash that shattered our hearts.

All in one motion, I looked out the window, called 911, and Read more »