maturity

We think of life as being really important; as being the most important thing there is, in fact.

That's when we are thinking about our own life, and the lives of the people and things we care about.

We human beings tend to be fairly ego-centric, meaning that we believe everything does, and should, revolve around our needs and desires.

And if you are 4 years old, that makes sense. Not so much so when you're an adult, and still thinking in those terms.

The world does not, in fact, revolve around what human beings need and want. Nature is fairly impervious  to our needs.

Nature is structured around balance, not what humans want...as evidenced by the thunderstorm that arrives on the day of the picnic, or the earthquake & tidal wave that decimates an entire city and its population.

Nature is not "fair" or "loving" in the way we define those terms.

Nature just "is" what it is.

Nature is predicated on the bigger picture. A picture much larger and more profound than merely the concern for what individual human beings need.

So...life is important, but not more important than death.

I once heard an hilarious quip on Saturday Night Live that said: