I was pleasantly surprised by the challenge to reflect on the meaning of life that was presented in my CTZN 410 class. At first, my immediate reaction to the question, “What is the meaning of life?”, was “I have absolutely no clue”. A question of such gravity cannot merely be answered without great contemplation, and this class jumpstarted my personal adventure to attempt to answer this question. To this day, I agree with what I wrote, yet I do not believe it captures the entirety of an answer that exists. The more of life I experience, the more I realize that my personal answer to this question comes to life in my relationships and interactions with others that results in our “flourishing together”. To me, in a world that is full of façades, it is the raw, imperfect, and vulnerable moments where the individual or the collective rise up against the challenges of life that emphasize the meaning and power that all of our lives embrace.
In class, each student shared their meaning of life final statements and this was something I appreciated more than I realized. It was interesting to hear the meaning of life expressed in 12 different, unique, and surprisingly familiar terms. The biggest takeaway from a peers was the impact of friendship, courage, and perseverance.