It is said that the first humans evolved two and a half million years ago. Assuming each generation lasts twenty five years, this means there’ve been one hundred thousand generations of human beings.
This thought blows my mind.
Two and a half million years ago a mother and father created the first human child. This child then grew up and had children, who in turn had their own children, and the cycle has continued one hundred thousand times as new generations were birthed and humanity evolved and spread throughout the world.
I have one hundred thousand generations of human ancestors that have come before me. What incredible stories there must be going back through the ages of love and war and suffering and friendship!
I’m so used to thinking in terms of hours and days, weeks and months, years and decades. Rarely do I think in centuries when I consider my place in the world, let alone millennia and beyond.
Considering the fragility of each and every human life, it’s astonishing that I’m alive.
How many battles have there been throughout the ages where one of my forefathers narrowly escaped death? How many times was one of my distant ancestors lucky to survive a terrible sickness?
All aspects of our lives are shaped by events from the past, both large and small, that have grown exponentially in significance over time. A woman choosing one suitor over another fifty thousand years ago has influenced history in ways we can scarcely imagine. Had she chosen differently, family lines stretching back through time would immediately vanish. In fact, all of humanity would be forever altered as countless direct and indirect consequences of her decision would’ve played out differently and created a much different world than the one we live in today.
It’s no wonder that we consider every newborn child to be a miracle. Over millions of years an incomprehensible number of things had to go a certain way for each child to come to life.
I’m so unbelievably grateful to have my children. They are perfect just as they are and my love for them is never-ending. I also recognize that the whole of human history, the whole history of the universe, had to unfold exactly the way it did for Des and Isa to arrive.
We all live for such a short period of time. But the collective reach of humanity is so very long.
Why after one hundred thousand generations are we still unable to come together in peace and collaboration? Why is there still so much hate and suffering in the world?
I wish I knew how to answer these questions, just as I wish that life wasn't so hard.
One thing I do know is that loving our children, and helping them understand how important it is to love and support one another, nourishes humanity. Love and kindness ripples through time and future generations. It will help us get through the tough times ahead because we will need to get through them together.
I truly hope that from this day forward all human beings will strive to cooperate and love one another, and that we will continue to experience the miracle of our children for another hundred thousand generations.