Remember The Greek Way

"The Greeks were keenly aware, terribly aware, of life's uncertainty and the imminence of death. Over and over again they emphasize the brevity and the failure of all human endeavor, the swift passing of all that is beautiful and joyful . . . [b]ut never, not in their darkest moments, do they lose their taste for life. It is always a wonder and a delight, the world a place of beauty, and they themselves rejoicing to be alive in it." 
                                                                                   --Edith Hamilton

I think the Greeks were much more enlightened than members of our modern day society.  They had a mature understanding of how challenging and heartbreaking (but also how wonderful) life can be.  For whatever reason(s) we continue to be shocked and deeply saddened by the acts of man and acts of God that occur which are inconsistent with our expecations and beliefs for how our lives should play out and how our world should function.  That's not to say that being sad, disappointed, and, indeed, feeling a range of emotions is wrong--it is all completely normal--but too often we adopt too dim of a view on our lives and "life" in general upon the receipt of, as Edith Hamilton wrote, "the failure of all human endeavor."  I believe we would all be much happier if we could at least try to remember and practice The Greek Way which is where we acknowledge and understand the uncertainity of our lives and the world we live in, yet we live our lives full of abundance and fervor for the wonder and delight that is always present (be it big or small at any given time) and rejoice to have the chance to be alive.