What If Good Things Lasted Forever?

Is it possible to completely appreciate something in the moment?  Whether remembering a family vacation or recalling your senior year of high school, we often times regard past events that were generally good in a very positive light. Think back to such an experience and try to recall exactly how you felt in the moment. If you can remember what it felt like, was it really as good as you're making it out to be now? Are you idealizing your memories, or were they actually that good? I think the following question, posed by Calvin's wise and loyal buddy Hobbes, better addresses this concept.

             
                                           Cartoon by Bill Watterson.

I love the look on Calvin's face in this strip: sheer contemplation. It's a rather brilliant question, and I feel as if the answer may be different for everyone in different times. Personally, while I know there are exceptions in my life, I feel that the answer to this question is usually no.

If something lasted forever, you would never have the chance to truly reflect on it. You could take the time to try and appreciate it in the moment by reflecting on the current state, but you would probably miss out on the real value of reflection. For the most part, I don't think we're able to fully comprehend the significance or the beauty of things precisely while they're happening. I believe exceptions to this include moments of extreme sensation, like riding a roller coaster or going to a concert, but most things of longer duration are best appreciated after the fact.

When good things do come to an end, it gives us an opportunity to reflect on the value they had in our lives, and it lets us better grasp how they've impacted us as people. Not only do we tend to remember most of the good parts and forget the bad, but we can pull out important lessons we've learned in the process. In the end, we wind up looking at a past experience and often remembering it as something better than it actually was, but I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

             
                              This picture is provided by Robert Black.

That being said, there are certain life-long qualities I do appreciate that will never end. The love I share in faith with my family and my closest friends (though relatives may pass away and friends may grow distant) will never die. In contrast to most of life's experiences, which are set in time for however long a duration, these bonds may and should be fully appreciated each day. I don't need to step outside of my faith or my community to understand just how precious they are; I just know.

But for most of life's experiences, I believe there's a reason most good things don't last forever; reflection on past events helps us appreciate their beauty and value. I also believe it is absolutely critical that we strive to appreciate the present moment as much as we can; I just feel that we're not always capable of doing so to the fullest extent until after it is finished.