Life’s Most Underrated Moment: The “Cusp”

The cusp deserves its day.

Like the sense of smell to taste, the cusp to a big moment is part of what makes the moment so big in the first place. That cusp—that point of intersection between the anticipation of something happening and it coming to fruition—is everything. What, after all, is a first kiss without the uncertain seconds just before your lips meet? Those are the ones charged with energy, nervousness, and hope. Those are the seconds that make a first kiss what it is.

We gasp before the trapeze artist grabs her bar... ("Trapeze Artist" by Gusto)

There’s optimism in the cusp: You’re trusting that the moments will follow through and turn out well. And when they do, we collapse into it, even more grateful. What, after all, is the most prolific moment of a wedding? Not the part of exchanging rings, reciting vows, or even the first kiss as a married couple. No, the moment women seem to talk about most is walking down the aisle toward those big moments. The cusp is everything.

There’s the cusp of dessert, as your fork cuts into a piece of cake, your mouth opening in expectation. There’s the cusp of a bursting flower bud about to bloom, which can be as beautiful as the bloom itself. One chill-worthy moment in Julie & Julia (see: Julie & Julia: Your Optimism Gurus!) was when Julie Powell’s answering machine filled up with messages of agents wanting to represent her; Julie on the cusp of her big moment. And let’s face it, the funniest part of tripping and falling on the sidewalk is the cusp before the concrete landing—the shock and fear on your face that only some lucky witnesses get to see. And what about the frightening cusp of a big drop on a rollercoaster—those moments when the sounds of the clicking train are replaced with a deafening silence, when your giddy fear turns to panic before you swoop down the hill? The seconds before the drop are as terrifying as falling down the hill itself.

Perhaps it’s time to start appreciating the cusp of great things as much as we appreciate the moments themselves. In life, in love. Being single is one of the biggest cusps of all, you know. Yes, falling in love is wonderful and if you do it right, it is all it’s cracked up to be. But where would the greatness of falling in love be without the cusp of build up just before you find it?

Being single is the fork full of cake, the rollercoaster before the drop, the bud before the bloom, the electric charge before the kiss. If you’re looking for a relationship, yes, you should think about the future and focus on what you want. But don’t forget to love and appreciate the fleeting place you’re in right now. Life moves quickly, changes happen, and love surprises you. So don’t forget to enjoy the cusp of love—your single life today—before you miss it.

Related links you might also like:
How to Live in the Moment
Man Advice from a 1943 Classic? You bet.

Big love,