Our family joined Costco in 2010. I’m not sharing the frequency of my visits, but the megastore sends “Get Well” cards if I miss two weeks in a row. I typically visit the wholesale retailer on Fridays as the doors open for business.

Warehouse club insiders carefully study Costco numerology and symbolism. A tag ending in .99 denotes a normal price. Prices ending in .39, .49, or .69 indicate special deals. Clearance items are marked with a .97.

The dreaded “Death Star” marks discontinued items. Asterisks in the upper right-hand corner of price tags signal products’ imminent demise. Consumers should stock up on favorite items before they go to that great box store in the sky.

The author of Ecclesiastes recognized the world’s transient nature. There’s “a time to be born and a time to die.” We mistake the temporary for the permanent, taking for granted life’s passing blessings; but everything and everyone bears an asterisk on the tag.

The Psalmist prayed, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” The past is history, and the future is mystery. Enjoy today’s present.  

.97