This post was inspired by one of Goya’s drawings from “The Disasters of War” series (plate 12: “This is what you were born for”).
Yes, war, including the one in Ukraine, reminds us that we live to die. But in this fragility, there is a unique beauty. Surrounding ourselves with wealth is an illusion of security. What Goya drew (a man vomiting on a pile of corpses) is gruesome and deeply pessimistic. Nevertheless, it is simply the truth, and one worth remembering. Why? Because by recognizing that our time in this world is finite, we can try to make the most of it. Of course, I cannot answer the question of how to live and how to use the time you have been given, my Dear Friend.
Personally, I believe in the broadly understood process of creation, and I try to devote most of my time to it.
Paradoxically, I think it is easier to live with awareness that we can die sooner than later and that life can be truly miserable, instead of hoping that life would be filled with streaks of successes and fortunes all the time. In the first case scenario, we can (but do not have to!) often be positively surprised. In the latter case, we can always be sad that our lives do not look as much as we would like them to. But in both cases, gratitude has the power to uplift us.
For today (I wrote this text on the 28th of July, 2025), I try to be grateful for the fact that I live where I live in the best possible (for me) time.
The war in Ukraine and Goya’s drawing remind me that people’s lives can be fragile, and we should be grateful for each subsequent day and the fact that we can see the Sun. Seize the day, my Dear Friend, because tomorrow you may die. I will finish this writing. To get a proper perspective on life, I genuinely recommend googling Goya’s titled drawing.
