My teenaged daughter took a look at this blog’s tagline and remarked that wasn’t that just a little bit egotistical? Well, child, ya gotta know the truth. The world was created just for me.

And here I am going to get really, really serious. Walk away now if you’re looking for humor.

The all-girls religious school I attended in Michigan was a wellspring of philosophy and advice for living a meaningful life. We were taught to keep two things in mind throughout our lives:

Memo to self:

1. The world was created solely for my sake.

2. I am dust and ashes.

One note in each pocket, we were told. The idea of message #1 is that we need to make something of ourselves, use the talents we were given, and make a difference in the world. We are strong, we are powerful, and we can affect people around us in a huge way.

At the same time, message #2 reminds us that when life is over the body is returned to the earth and none of the materialism that meant so much during our lifetime comes with us. No perfect figure, magazine-worthy home, fancy cars, jewelry, clothing. Only the difference we made in the world remains, and the merits that we take up to heaven.

The two messages seem contradictory at first, but they are actually perfectly suited to keep us in check and guide us through life with a healthy perspective on what’s important.

Child, you have your head on straight. I just chose not to include the second half of the dictum on this self-serving blog because really – does the time I spend posting here do anything for the world?

As a consolation prize for putting up with my ramblings, I’ll share a stunning photo taken by my daughter. (There’s a story behind the flowers, but that’s for another post.)