One of my first yoga teachers had a phrase he commonly repeated and that has stuck with me over the years: "Impermanence is the essence of the human condition." As I look ahead to a milestone birthday this year, and the fact that this life is, in fact, but a dream, more deeply sinks into my soul, I have found that I am drawn to skulls and symbols of death. To me, they don't represent darkness or horror, or even an end for that matter. Rather, they serve as a reminder to make this time count, every single minute of it. If we are lucky and we live to be delightfully old, our time here is still just a whisper. Our impermanence and unavoidable death is the most potent reminder, to me, to make the most of this "one wild and precious life." 
 
Ethically sourced Chrysoprase set in sterling silver with fine silver bezel. Size 6 3/4.