I have read the title of this post as a quote from Epicurus, however I can only find one reference, so I’m not putting much faith in him actually having said it, but that doesn’t make it any less true.  That is the joy of a good quote – it doesn’t really matter who said it, if it resonates with you and brings you comfort, then you get to incorporate it into your life.

Nothing is unending – this too shall pass.

Many philosophers and thinkers go from those quotes straight on to memento mori and how all living things, humans included, will one day die. 

It seems to me that they are often missing out the bit about being alive before you die.

Whilst I agree that thinking about your own mortality is a good idea, when it is done in such a way as to remove the fear of it, it cannot be the only thing we think about.  Samurai warriors may well have spent each morning contemplating their own deaths, but they also lived with a higher possibility of it happening that very day than most of us do and it would be unfair, to ourselves and the people we care about, for us to do the same.

(I have another post planned to talk about how I think about death, trying to find a balance between preparing for it whilst still living to the full as much as I can).

This post is about the comfort I get from the title.

Nothing is unending – this too shall pass.

When you are in the middle of a crisis – this too shall pass.  When you are in the middle of something so joyful you can hardly bear it – this too shall pass.  We know these things from experience, every part of our lives changes from moment to moment, yet we cling to happiness until it becomes desperation and we wallow in pain, not believing that it will ever release us.

But we have been happy and in pain before.

Remembering that those times passed, leaving me with only memories, spurs me into living in the moment of joy (when I am able to, it is NOT an easy thing to do) and to accept the pain for what it is (the reality of my life there and then, not (hopefully) always and forever).  I am fortunate that I can let go of most things once they are in the past.  If they were good things then I try to make them part of my everyday life and if they were bad things then I try to learn from them and move past them (I am not always successful in this endeavour, but I am human and there’s not a lot I can do about that – forgiveness for oneself is as important as for deserving others).

Nothing is unending, this too shall pass, I will get through this, I should remember and learn from this.  I should treasure this – the good and the bad – because one day I won’t be here to experience it and if I don’t I am wasting a very limited opportunity with no second chance.  I don’t always succeed and I don’t have a ‘How To’ guide but even the attempt is sometimes enough. 

Pausing to think – this too shall pass – puts a lot into perspective.