"And I realized, when you go through any endeavor, any journey - whether across town or to the moon and back - all that matters is that you share the experience with people that you love. That's what makes life special. Because ultimately, that's all there is. That's really all there is."
- Astronaut Alan Bean (played by Dave Foley) in the HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon.
I have no way of knowing whether Alan Bean ever said that, or some clever Hollywood writer came up with it as a good monologue to end that episode. Regardless, the simplicity of that quote has always struck me as being so profound. That simple yet elegant message, whether authentic or contrived, is a reminder of what we should all keep in mind as we go through life.
Because ultimately, that's all there is. That's really all there is.
