Mortality is real for all of us, regardless of whether we believe in fate. Marty Kaplan contemplates the hubris of making plans in a universe of improv.

In the aftermath of Brexit, a man remembers that we have a limitless capacity for amazement even when we should be more fearful. When those times come, remember rain.

The importance of religion to Americans is trending downward. Meanwhile, more people are saying they experience a deep sense of wonder and awe about the universe. A secular Jew on the importance of the Passover, ritual of Seder, and the paradise of kinship.

Experiencing the ineffable is a winding path, a journey with as many pivots and tacks as straight lines. And sometimes you find your course in a dentist’s chair, contemplating why the this matters and realizing you just need to show up.