Let's say something really, really bad happens. Like a tragedy or something. Makes you think about the important things.
Lots of things fall away. The day to day stuff kind of dematerializes. You can thrash around, looking for answers, but there are no answers.
If you have a vivid imagination, a sensitive constitution, you can live and relive the tragedy, and it can remake you. It does remake you. You make that new reality part of your being. It's hard.
And then, what exactly are we left with? Not a lot. We don't have much in our arsenal - just love, grace, compassion. That is all. The essential stuff. That is it. It has to be enough.