Recently a very close friend lost her husband, killed in a motor-cycle accident. So sad. Of course, we know life is impermanent and death is writ large through covid-19. Somehow our media world and actual world seem especially threatening. It makes me ask: “what do I desire and need to ‘sustain my love of life?’” It is a friend in his 90’s who sends e-mails with the words ‘carpe diem’ – ‘seize the day.’ The same friend often blesses us with the words ‘shalom – the peace of God.’ This leads on to a key question: “to what do we give our commitment, what is our calling [vocation], what is our life’s work?” And, difficult as it is, part of the answer is that we are to live well, to live with purpose, to live with caring values: ‘carpe diem’ – ‘seize the day.’