Death has been a long-time companion to me in writing , starting in 1977 as the key figure in an unpublished fiction trilogy,  "A Game With Death."  Nothing puts things in perspective more than death. Here's an interesting exercise: Imagine Death comes to you, hands you a letter, and you are surprised to find it is your own last words.  What do you imagine you might read?

Numerous benefits derive from being in a state of gratitude. When we truly consider how lucky we are simply to be alive, when we receive the gifts of life with thanks giving, when we transform our suffering into lessons for living and love of life, we enter a magic kingdom and live a blessed life.  Gratitude may be the best antidote to the cynicism of the modern world.

As a teenager, before departing on my first airplane trip alone, I bought a copy of a Science Fiction magazine that included a short story about a man that stopped time by experiencing the whole of his life, from birth to death, all-at-once. The idea fascinated me and has been with me since. Here is my poetic translation of this idea: How wide is your embrace for your own life?

On the surface, my life is an odd mix of glamorous travel and mundane moments. But the real adventure, for me, is inside: living in a world teetering on the edge of imagination, filled with unfounded dangers and fantastic delights, found even in the simplest acts. I imagine myself to be an everyday adventurer finding treasures in the mundane moments of life.   Are you a treasure hunter? What treasure do you seek in life?