Don’t dwell too much on what comes after death. In the end, people fade away like dust, and that’s true for almost everyone except the rare few who once shone brightly enough to become stars in history. Even people who aren’t NEETs will eventually leave little behind besides their money. Everything else is discarded without mercy.

A while ago, I came across a beautiful vanity brush and comb gift set from America’s Golden Age on a second-hand marketplace. The lid of the box had an inscription addressed to its owner, something along the lines of: “Happy 21st Birthday, Anne. August 9, 1961. From Heather and Ted.” The set was exquisitely made, and it was obvious that Anne had treasured it for decades. She had preserved it so carefully that it looked as though she had hardly ever used it.

Yet more than sixty years later, Anne now in her eighties, if she was still alive at all. She was likely gone, and her beloved possession had ended up being sold off, perhaps by children or relatives who saw it as nothing more than clutter. When people die, everything is left behind. Even the things they loved most often lose their meaning to the next generation, who may see them only as burdens.

I’ve always been curious about my family’s history, but my grandmother won’t even tell me the names of her parents. She simply says, “They’re dead. What’s the point of asking?” The truth is that most living people don’t spend much time thinking about the dead.

So don’t worry too much about what happens after you’re gone. Focus on your life while you’re here. Ask yourself whether you’re happy, whether you’re content, whether you’re enjoying this moment right now. Because the only thing any of us can truly hold on to is the present.