My grandparents (Allied nation) would not have met if it were not for Hitler and the war. This is a weird and existential thought, but as much as I abhor Hitler

My grandparents (Allied nation) would not have met if it were not for Hitler and the war. This is a weird and existential thought, but as much as I abhor Hitler’s actions, I likely wouldn’t exist without him. My German wife, similarly, has grandparents who would not have met had it not been for the War (one grandfather walked home from Stalingrad having been taken prisoner during the battle). I’m sure this story is true for many (we are history’s product) and I can’t be the only one a bit freaked out by my existential dependence upon the great bogeyman of history.