the wooden spoon

Always knock on wood.  Not for luck, but to make sure its strong, treated & not crumbling apart.  Anything you build - relationships, character, a house - has to be strong & treated right.  When you have friendships & loved ones, the strong will survive. If you build others up with encouraging words & are the best you can be towards them, they will stay strong. In return, you'll also benefit from having a great friend &/or relative. Same with your home. Treat it well, paint it, clean it.  Ya know, regular maintenance. It will last you a life time :)