Just think about it: the smallest action our ancestors took - choosing a different place to eat, picking a class in high school, or even making the life-altering decision to move to another country - shaped everything that followed. Every step they took, no matter how trivial it seemed, rippled through time to create the lives we’re living today. It’s mind-boggling to consider how such seemingly small moments could alter the course of countless generations. And yet, it makes sense. After all, the greatest changes often start with a single choice.

Imagine the decisions we’re making right now. What impact will they have decades or even centuries from now? It’s both awe-inspiring and humbling to think about the weight of our actions. At the same time, it’s a reminder that change doesn’t always require monumental effort: it begins with one small step, a single connection, or the persistence to see something through. Just as we live and learn, so did our ancestors. They faced challenges, dreamed of better futures, and worked hard to create something meaningful, often without ever knowing the full scope of what they’d set in motion.

Their lives were shaped by their environments, by the same struggles and joys we experience today. In some ways, their thoughts might not have been so different from ours - just framed by different tools, challenges, and societal norms. Perhaps, somewhere in the past, a person who shared your DNA lived a life eerily similar to yours. Maybe that’s the closest thing we have to time travel: the realization that, in living, we’re continuing stories that began long before we were born.

And for that, we owe them gratitude. Not just for the good decisions that led us here, but also for the mistakes, the struggles, and even the failures. Their actions, both intentional and accidental, brought us to this moment. To honor them is to acknowledge that we are part of something bigger - connected through time by bonds of family and shared humanity.

The fact that you’re reading this means their choices mattered, even if they didn’t realize it at the time. The decisions we make today, no matter how small, hold the same potential to shape the lives of future generations. Perhaps one day, someone far down the line will look back and reflect on the meaning of your actions.

For now, we can only trust that we’re carrying forward the same will and power that sustained those who came before us. Maybe we’ll never fully understand the purpose behind it all. But maybe, just maybe, that purpose will become clear to someone in the distant future, when the ripple effect of our lives finally reaches its destination.

So, to our ancestors, regardless of their struggles, successes, or failures: thank you.