Dear Fellow Traveler,
On the evening of September 30th, 1859, Abraham Lincoln (known for his storytelling) told this tale to a crowd at the Wisconsin State Fair: An Eastern monarch once charged his wise men to invent a sentiment to be ever in view that should be true and appropriate in all times and situations. They presented him with the words, "And this, too, shall pass away." How much it expresses! How chastening in the hour of pride; how consoling in the depths of affliction! "And this, too, shall pass away." And yet, let us hope it is not entirely true.
The notion that nothing lasts is one of the most well-known (and observable) eternal truths. The pre-Socratic philosopher Heraclitus (a figure I bring up often) stressed more than two millennia ago, “The river where you set your foot just now is gone — those waters giving way to this, now this.”
The maxim “this too shall pass” is truly universal. It applies to the moments in life that we cherish and those we despise. But despite how obvious this eternal truth is — we often fail to recognize its wisdom.
