I was happy because of a deep understanding of the finite nature of life, not in spite of it. This, to me, felt like adulthood. I don’t believe ignorance is bliss. I think understanding is bliss, but, to get to the joyful part, sometimes you have to face the terror head-on. Once I could admit to myself how truly tiny we are, how short our time is, and still love life, I felt like a woman.
