I think it's better to have your personal life and your work life separate. That way they don't corrupt each other, so to speak.
I always was one who didn't take things for granted. But I think I do appreciate things more now. The small moments of joy that we find each day are so much more precious now than when I looked at them before.
I was once married to a woman who could eat anything and tell you what was in it: the most complicated recipes. Her memory of taste - now that's what I call memory!