What if the universe ended tomorrow?

Someday the universe will end.

…

I think we can agree that’s a very not-fun thing to think about—even if there are some interesting theories about how it could happen.

It’s unsettling to think that everything humanity has accomplished may one day amount to nothing.

But there is a similar thought that is even more unsettling:

Long before the eventual fate of the universe, our lives will end.

Focusing on the end of the universe obscures the fact that there is just as final an end, and a far more personal one, approaching each of us.

But the truth is, we have been given a great gift to observe this moment in time, to act upon it, and impact the path this universe takes—even if only in a small way.

The universe as we know it will likely still be around for quite some time but the time each of us has to observe and act within it is far more limited.

Memento mori—remember that you will die.

Memento vivere—remember to live.

2021-06-20