“This life came so close to never happening”
What does this mean?
Gray, the answer could run into hundreds of reasons, ranging from the Mother dying alone in the outback somewhere, before the child being born,… to being due to the failure of effective contraception.
Where did you find this one? 
Good morning by the way.
kitosdad.
I heard that in the movie – 25th Hour.
It was the last line. I thought it is significant, but I didn’t get the meaning. Here is an excerpt from that lengthy dialogue:
James Brogan: …You get yourself a new family and you raise them right, you hear me? Give them a good life Monty. Give them what they need. You have a son, maybe you name him James, it’s a good strong name, and maybe one day years from now years after I am dead and gone reunited with your dear ma, you gather your whole family around and tell them the truth, who you are, where you come from, you tell them the whole story. Then you ask them if they know how lucky they are to be there. It all came so close to never happening. This life came so close to never happening.
Could you please explain the meaning of the phrase ‘never happening’?
A very good morning! It’s nice hearing from you after a long while
Hi Gray, I really would have to see the film to give you a true definition as to what the meaning was.
But when something comes " So close to never happening " then it simply means it has happened, and it was only by fate or luck that it did so.
Like deciding to walk home instead of taking the bus, and whilst doing so, meeting the woman of your dreams.
Something along those lines.
Actually, I watched only a part of the second half of the movie. So, I am not able to decipher the meaning of the entire sentence 
But I wanted to know the meaning of that particular phrase ‘never happening’. And it is clear now. As you said, it is quite opposite (never happening – for something that happened:)) and that’s why it confused me.