All Things Must Pass
A year ago, the world watched in disbelief at the burning collapse of the Notre Dame cathedral spire, the centuries of architectural and spiritual beauty such a monument represented to humans around the world. At that moment, I felt both loss and gratitude, reminded once again as I am so often, that truly, nothing lasts forever.
At age 17, I had traveled with friends to see Europe by train, and we had landed in Paris on Bastille Day. It was a muggy, overcast July afternoon, but inside the cathedral was cool, the faint smell of cold stone replacing that of the dirty city outside. The windows and detail of every arch quickly made Notre Dame one of the most beautiful things I had, and ever would see, in my life. Standing from various points of view throughout the city, I marveled at the angles of its bell towers and buttresses. I imagined a young Phillipe Petit crossing between them on a wire.
At that moment, watching that beautiful spire begin to collapse, I was so grateful for having been to that place. A building among a thousand other great buildings in the world, but one the world never expected to see crumble or alter. Even the monuments cannot stand forever.
A few months ago I watched a documentary called All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records, which chronicled the birth and death of one of the most iconic names in the music industry. Tower Records was Mecca for musicians; to see their album covers on the store window meant they had arrived. But despite the immortality of vinyl, Tower Records still fell when the industry changed forever at the hands of digital music. It broke my heart to watch such an icon fade away with the likes of the cassette tape. Truly, nothing lasts forever.
A few days ago, I marked on the calendar 8 years since losing my friend Troy to cancer. There’s a song by Switchfoot called “Souvenirs” that reminds me of him, of our friendship, and most importantly, how quickly life changes, fades, and then dissolves. In the song, the line is repeated, “nothing lasts forever.” And it reminds me every time I hear it that today could be the day where something is lost, something is gained, life can forever change.
So whether good or bad, all things must pass. When the days are dark and it feels impossible to go on, remember, they shall not last. When a day is perfect and life feels like it couldn’t get any better, remember to savor it, for it too will come to a end. And because without the dark, we cannot see the light, be grateful for whichever moment you find yourself, because we need one to appreciate the other.