If we wait until our lives are free from sorrow or difficulty

Dirk Benedict, known for his resilience both on screen and in life, once declared: “If we wait until our lives are free from sorrow or difficulty, then we wait forever. And miss the entire point.” In this bold saying, he shatters the illusion that happiness and purpose lie in some distant, perfect tomorrow. He reminds us that the very fabric of existence is woven with trials, and that to postpone living until all storms have passed is to forfeit life itself. The point is not to avoid hardship, but to embrace life in the midst of it.

The ancients would have nodded at this wisdom. In the writings of Seneca, the Stoic sage, we hear the same refrain: “Difficulties strengthen the mind, as labor does the body.” To wait for a life without burden is to wait for what never shall come. For even kings upon their thrones, clothed in silk and surrounded by riches, carried griefs hidden beneath their crowns. Benedict’s words are an echo of this eternal teaching: that the art of living is not found in waiting for ease, but in moving boldly through sorrow and difficulty, finding joy and purpose despite them.

History gives us shining examples of this truth. Consider Helen Keller, blind and deaf from childhood. If she had waited for a life without hardship, she would never have spoken, never have written, never have inspired the world. Yet in the heart of her struggles she discovered meaning, declaring: “Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.” She did not wait for conditions to be perfect; she lived the point of life fully — to grow, to connect, to inspire — despite every obstacle. Her story embodies Benedict’s wisdom in its purest form.

This teaching also strikes against a common human trap: the belief in “someday.” We say, “Someday, when I have more money… someday, when I am no longer grieving… someday, when life is easier…” But someday never comes, for each season brings its own trials. The man who waits for a life without sorrow will never taste joy, for joy is not found in the absence of pain but in the courage to sing while pain still lingers. To wait forever is to let life slip like water through the fingers, untouched, unlived.

Benedict’s words also teach us that difficulty itself sharpens us, deepens us, and awakens us to what matters most. A heart that has grieved knows more fully how to love; a hand that has labored knows the worth of rest; a soul that has endured hardship sees the beauty in small mercies. Thus, the point of life is not to erase hardship, but to allow it to make us wise, compassionate, and alive. To flee from sorrow is to flee from our own humanity.

What, then, shall we do? We must stop waiting for the perfect hour. Begin now, even in the midst of struggle. Laugh with your friends though your heart aches. Work with diligence though obstacles rise. Cherish the love you have, even if loss has already touched you. Do not let grief or hardship delay your living. Instead, let them sharpen your appreciation for the fleeting gift of each moment.

So, O children of the future, carry this teaching as a lamp in your hearts: do not wait for life to become easy, for it never shall. Instead, step boldly into each day, knowing that sorrow and difficulty are companions, not enemies. If you live now, without waiting for perfection, you will discover the true point of life: to love, to create, to endure, to rejoice — even amidst the storm. And when your days are done, you will not say, “I waited,” but rather, “I lived.”