Whenever we witness the collapse of our imaginary foundations, we emerge from the experience convinced that those could not have been foundations, and that reality has persisted. Reality, incidentally, always persists: no catastrophe has ever affected it. We never seem to truly learn this, but it is wise to return again and again to the realization that stability is impossible, that to yearn for it is to desire a reality that does not exist, and is to foster disappointment and a sense of inadequacy. It does us good to listen to Epictetus, to get used to wearing a serene smile, giving thanks for what we have been given and blessing what has “returned.”