There are a lot of things I wish I could have in life but if there were one thing it would be a magical button that guaranteed that nothing would ever separate me from my wife.

Our neighbor lost his wife of nearly 87 years lately and since that time I’ve been obsessed with the knowledge that sooner or later either my wife or I will be separated, and I neither want to leave her alone in grief nor to be left alone without her.

More spiritually evolved individuals seem to not only tolerate the impermanence of all things but actually take joy in it, for to them it gives the presence meaning. For me, knowing that all love ends tragically, makes it difficult to fully vest in and enjoy each moment in a relationship.

I’d like to know how the Buddhists manage it. I’ve heard about Tibetan monasteries where they use human skull caps as drinking vessels to remind themselves of the impermanence of all things.