That is the very essence of what it means to be mortal, yet it is difficult to fully imagine, let alone accept. Our lives are literally everything to us, and they feel so brimming and momentous while we are living them that it is hard to grasp how fleeting they are compared to the whole of human history, to say nothing of the vast sweep of space and time. This radical discrepancy between the scale of our own lives and the scale of the rest of existence can leave us feeling two different ways. One of them, akin to the feeling of losing something, is that the universe is dauntingly large and we are terrifyingly insignificant. The other, akin to the feeling of finding, is that the universe is dauntingly large and yet here we are, unimaginably unlikely and therefore precious beyond measure. As with so many other contrasting feelings, most of us will experience both of these eventually. It is easy to feel small and powerless; easy, too, to feel amazed and fortunate to be here.
— Kathryn Schulz, Lost & Found: A Memoir (Random House; January 11, 2022)
Notes:
- Photo: Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker
- NY Times Editor’s Choice 10 new Books We Recommend this Week (Feb 3, 2022).
- NY Times Book Review: Is There a Silver Lining to Loss? This Memoir Shows Its Shimmer. (Jan 11, 2022)
Live & Learn 
those dual feelings, so beautifully explained
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Yes. And she does it over and over in the book.
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Yes to both, but more and more grateful and privileged for every moment.
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Yes!
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Interesting quote. It reminds on “Two souls dwell, alas, in my breast” (Goethe)
Happy Valentine’s Day
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
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That’s it Klaus!
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Indeed…I highlighted this text too…the ultimate paradox so beautifully defined.
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Did you like the book?
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Loved it, though I went through more Kleenex – crying, laughing through tears, weeping and nodding…
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Awwwww, so glad!
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I’ll follow your recommendations anytime!
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“…yet here we are, unimaginably unlikely and therefore precious beyond measure.” A thought to hold onto on the bad days. Thx for warming my heart with this excerpt, pal, and a very Happy Valentine’s Day to you!
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Thank you Lori!
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Kathryn Schulz, those eyes…have such a depth…her mind so inquisitive, she is full of wonder, in her travels and having lived in diverse locals (she even lived in Portland, Oregon which I am sure stuck with her & perhaps not in a good way but a weird way, maybe she was there when it was still Livable, not toxicity tainted, w/violence, daily shootings & drug infested among other unfortunate, other unmentionable situations (remember I’m tied to PDX & I wouldn’t go there again unless someone in my family is dying or does dies)…she’s fueled that sense of wonder and developed an understand of others & grown to discover much of herself and honed her observational skills …her spirit, alive…she is brave, she is strong emotionally, she is accepting, she is engaging…& she appreciates life and knows that “each breath is a gift”
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Each breath is gift!
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