I have a sister who crochets and knits almost everyday. She’s an artists with yarn. The process is very time consuming, but she makes beautiful sweaters, intricate table clothes with thread, couch throws. I’m sure if you showed her just about anything, she could find a way to create it with yarn. She’s a yarn wizard.

However, after she makes something and gives it to you as a gift, you must be very careful not to snag it on something or pull a loose piece of yarn. Otherwise, you will have a large pile of unspooled yarn puddled at your feet, instead of the beautiful piece of art.

Life is very much like anything my sister creates. Just as carefully as you can create something, it can be destroyed with one wrong move.

A very long time ago, an admirer bought me a Faberge egg. It was expensive, I could tell, because it came with its own golden thrown. I’d never seen anything so lovely. But with the gift came buying insurance for it and keeping it safe from people breaking it. At one point, I believe, I put it away in a safe closet on the top shelf, because I was always afraid someone was going to bump into where it was and break it.

After much consideration, I decided to sell it—what a relief to let go of that egg. That experience with the egg helped me realize that no object should have that much worth in my life. I’d rather have things that are beautiful, but replaceable.

Let’s face the hardest truth in life: Nothing on this Earth is made to survive, not even you.

The Buddhists believe that once you realize this, you can begin to live a life free from the fear of death. The theory even suggests that everyone you love, including yourself, you imagine passing away and becoming dust. As a believer in this theory, you will never take for granted the time you spend with the special people in your life.

I live by this theory. Life happens in the present. That’s why it’s called the “present.” Time is a gift from God. Every day we learn, cherish, love, overcome obstacles, and turn a new page in the book of life.

I wrote a book about this called: “Your New Story, Your New Life.” The books takes many new thought theories and combines them with own perceptions of life.

Peace to you today.