Life is a Contradiction

Simply put, life is one big contradiction. To many, this may have a negative connotation, but to me, contradictions help to make life so beautiful, so new, so exciting. Over the course of our time here in Greece, we have spent a lot of time talking about expectations. What we expected Glyfada and Athens to be like, how we expected to spend our time, and how we expected this incredible group of 29 to interact. I think that if all of our assumptions had been exact we might be a bit disappointed. It would be like knowing the end of an incredible book before you’ve been given the chance to discover it on your own.

Unconsciously, I always manage to seek out the juxtapositions that are presented in my life. I look for the hope that shines through the darkest of situations, the importance that resonates from seemingly meaningless conversation. Here, in Greece, these contradictions hide behind every corner, and it is up to us to discover them. I find it incredible that the Acropolis still stands strong after 2500 years, with its antiquity and magnitude shining in every direction, yet rests amidst the everyday “hustle-and-bustle” of over four million people in an incredibly urbanized city. When I think back to our time at Praxis thus far, it only helps to reinforce the undying gratitude and appreciation for various things in my life; for my family and incredible friends, for the fact that I am able to be a part of this incredible journey, for the simple fact that I do not wake up every morning wondering where my next meal will come from, whether or not drugs will claim the life of those close to me.

There is one contradiction that stands out above the rest in my mind. During our orientation at Praxis last week, we were given the honor to hear the account of an incredible man, Abdul, first hand. Abdul spoke of the hardships of leaving his country in the midst of a civil war. His reasoning was clear, he had to leave to protect his family, a family that he has been forced to leave behind. After a three-month trek, much of it by foot, Abdul reached Greece and, ultimately, his safe haven – Praxis. He spoke to us, portraying in great detail his journey, making sure to show off his incredibly powerful smile the entire time. But, just a few inches above his pearly whites, his eyes described the pain and suffering he was going through. Abdul’s incredible attitude, even during the most unfathomable of situations, will forever be a guiding light in my life.

I look at this image of the Greek flag, its everyday pride and character blatant, yet I do what I can to look beyond-to look at the power of the light that shines through the dark. I remind myself, with the words of Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, to look for the light from within and how, “People are like stained - glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.”

Lauren Shuster