"Life is hard, and then you die."
For me, this statement sums up human existence and spells out my expectations for what life will throw my way. I am a realist. I don't expect life to be easy. In fact, when things come too smoothly I tend to be suspicious of them, wondering when the shoe will drop.
I think most people probably accept the truth of that catch phrase, even if they wouldn't state it quite that baldly. Life is an ongoing struggle from birth to death, even when things are relatively good. We never know for certain what is ahead, no matter how carefully we plan or tightly we try to control things. All families have hard times and difficult moments - it is simply a matter of time before it will be our turn.
