Epictetus offered a hard, freeing idea: never say you've lost a thing, only that you've returned it. What you have, your people, your comforts, your time, was never truly owed to you; it was lent, and one day given back. Holding it this way isn't cold. It actually deepens your gratitude, because you stop taking the gift for granted. You love what's here more fully when you remember it isn't guaranteed. This is tender, so don't force it past where you are. You don't have to feel ready to lose anything. You can just practice noticing the good in your hands today as a gift you're lucky to hold, rather than a possession you're owed.

Inspired by the old idea of impermanence. Written by Ugo Charles.