Once when I was a senior in high school an old farmer who had always struck me as an unusually aware and sensible man said to me, in just sort of an offhand way, "Well, you're about to head out into the world. It's an awful cold, hard place. Most of your life there won't be anybody around to help you. You'll have a lot of losses. I hope you're ready for it." That comment stuck with me for a long time, but I've gradually decided that, at least so far, it doesn't fit very well with my experience. It hasn't been all that hard to find and keep a reasonably secure and comfortable place in the world. I've had plenty of love and help at every turn -- way more than I deserved -- and I haven't been overwhelmed by loss. Every year life seems to get a little easier and a few more worries fade away. The hardships and losses will come, I know, but they're not the whole landscape.
