Turning 60 reminded me of something Dr. M. Scott Peck told me over 30 years ago: At 40, you feel like you can conquer the world, and there is a sense that nothing can stop you. But at 60, you realize the very real fragility of life and the temporariness of it all. It’s humbling to know there is indeed a time limit for all things and that God’s design, though perfect, is precious far beyond its brevity.

I am also reminded of the Hindu story that my friend Bill from Lowell, Arkansas, shared with me about a man at his funeral. “Would this man lying here ask for more riches and gold from the world? Would this man ask to be more famous and well regarded by others? Would he ask to be taller or look more handsome?”

“No. The only thing this man lying here today would ask for was much simpler: more time.”

[It’s a great essay, and since I turned 60 this year too, a timely one for me. Schneider discusses his conversion to Catholicism, his late friend Norm MacDonald, and the nature of true forgiveness. — Ed]