To Live Is the Rarest Thing in the World

Most people exist, that is all

John P. Weiss
Personal Growth
Published in
8 min readSep 17, 2023

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Photo by John P. Weiss

There are seemingly insignificant moments in life that end up staying with us forever.

My travels abroad to Ireland, Scotland, Italy, Costa Rica, and elsewhere were all pleasant, memorable experiences. I happily discuss these trips with friends at social gatherings, and they return the favor with talk of their travels.

What I don’t share is the time my wife came home from her job as a hospice nurse and collapsed happily on the back patio couch for a snooze with her cat.

To relate such a common moment would perplex my friends. They’d probably stare back at me, waiting for the punchline.

It’s easier to flash exotic vacation photos on my iPhone than try to explain an inexplicable moment of inner happiness and well-being.

Sometimes, common moments are camouflage for divinity and grace.

Your heart is where your inner light resides

We often miss such exquisite moments because of the endless chatter in our minds.

Modernity, with all of its technological intrusions and distractions, has recalibrated humanity to exist in the thrum of incessant noise and superficiality. We sense that life has something…

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John P. Weiss
Personal Growth

I write elegant, thoughtful stories and essays about life, often illustrated with my classic black and white photography.