Shelly K Gillis

During the summer of 1993, I was riding around the backroads of Massachusetts with my new husband when we ran across a charming country church. Out in front was a sign which encouraged readers to be careful how they lived each day, as those days create a life. I was drawn to that simple perspective on a life well-lived.

I consider myself a lifelong learner, though often not in the traditional sense. Growing up on a cattle ranch in southern Oklahoma, I learned the honesty and humility of hard work. We raised our own beef and vegetables and it took...