I was once almost killed by a butterfly.

There are moments that make you realise the fragility of life. How something that we take for granted can be snatched away without warning.

The recent terror attacks in the UK, in their randomness, have the effect of reminding us of this. That everything we care about can be snatched away in an instant, whether by an accident, a natural phenomenon, or a crazed lunatic.

This could easily make us despair. We could look at this and think, what is the point? Why invest time and energy in something that can disappear in an instant?

And yet, when we think about it a little more, it is actually that very fragility that makes life so precious. The cruelly short time that some of the parents had with their children killed in the Manchester attack demonstrates just how valuable those lives were.

Those innocent victims will never be forgotten by anyone who knew them, because of the many moments of joy they gave in their all too brief time with us. Nothing can heal the pain of such a loss, but equally nothing can take away the light they brought.

Our favourite memories are usually of very short periods of time – a day, perhaps, but more often just a couple of hours, or maybe just a few minutes or even seconds. When we remember a special holiday, it is the special moments in that holiday we recall, not checking in at the airport or going through security.

Life is about moments. By making moments count, we can make an hour to remember. By making hours to remember, we make days full of joy. By making days full of joy, we make a life of happiness.

Often we feel that we should focus on the big stuff in order to achieve happiness in life. But it’s too easy to forget that it’s the small stuff that makes us happy. Or, if you prefer, the “big” stuff isn’t what you might think it is.

What was the last time you laughed so much you could hardly breathe? I’ll bet it was in response to something that happened or was said in a moment.

When was the last time you felt so happy you could cry? Chances are it was something that happened in a moment.

That’s not to say we shouldn’t work towards the big things, and take the steps we need to in order to put ourselves in the position of being able to have those moments. But don’t get so caught up in the process that you miss those moments you’ve worked to create.

Children often show us the importance of moments. They can fall and hurt themselves and be apparently inconsolable one minute, then running around chasing a butterfly the next.

But just watch out for those butterflies…

• This topic was modified 7 years, 6 months ago by Axuda.