It’s that time of year…for syrupy graduation speeches, often filled with advice that I truly hope graduates do NOT take. I’m talking about the “chase your dreams” and “follow your passions” kind of advice, along with the reminders that, “you are amazing” and “you can do anything.”

Nick Chowdhury lost his identity in 1991. It was returned to him last week.

He was fishing on Vancouver Island and left his wallet on the rocks near the shore, not knowing that the tide was rising and would sweep it away.

Carrie Clark lost her cat, Galena, last month. She and her husband live in Utah, where the cat seemed to disappear. Four weeks later, she got a call from a veterinarian 700 miles away in Southern California. Amazon dropped the cat off with them. Yes, Amazon!

“I need a better work-life balance.”

My response: “You mean work isn’t life?”

For all of human history, work was life. Consider the Law of the Sabbath: “Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God” (Exodus 20:9-10 ESV).

Whoa! A work/time-off ratio of 6-1? What about the 5-day workweek?

The minimum lethal dose of botulism bacillus is .00003 micrograms per kilogram of body weight. That's like a mosquito derailing a 100-mile long freight train! It was an inexpensive O-ring that took down the Space Shuttle, Challenger. And you know how your whole body can be affected by a slight pain in a key area, such as a toe or heel.

Little things often cause the greatest damage. But the reverse is also true. It’s the little things that make life most enjoyable.

My grandson was happily pushing his truck along our kitchen floor and I was enjoying watching him. He suddenly stopped, looked at the ground in front of him, and froze, with a concerned look on his face.

“What’s the matter, bud?”

He just pointed and let out a grumpy whine.

I went over and looked closely. It was a tiny ant that I could barely see.

I stepped on it. He looked again, then went on playing with his truck.

So concerned over a tiny, harmless thing.