Qohelet says the house of mourning is “better” than the house of feasting because it tells the truth about our limits and pushes us to “lay it to heart.” This sermon walks through death as a teacher, grief as a strange school of wisdom, and Jesus as the only anchor strong enough to hold when the storm hits. Drawing on Ecclesiastes 7 and 9 and the story of our daughter Ella’s death, we explore how facing our mortality can actually deepen hope, reshape priorities, and tether us more securely.