First of all, many thanks go out to my friends Deb and Rick for sending this. It is very much appreciated.Secondly, instead of e-mailing it to my friends, here it is. I wouldn't want it to get caught in a spam filter somewhere.
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A friend of mine opened his wife's underwear drawer and picked up a silk paper wrapped package: "This, - he said - isn't any ordinary package."He unwrapped the box and stared at both the silk paper and the box.
"She got this the first time we went to New York , 8 or 9 years ago. She has never put it on , was saving it for a special occasion. Well, I guess this is it."
He got near the bed and placed the gift box next to the other clothing he was taking to the funeral home, his wife had just died.
He turned to me and said: "Never save something for a special occasion. Every day in your life is a special occasion."
I still think those words changed my life. Now I read more and clean less.
I sit on the porch without worrying about anything.
I spend more time with my family, and less at work.
I understood that life should be a source of experience to be lived up to, not survived through.
I no longer keep anything.
I use crystal glasses every day...
I'll wear new clothes to go to the supermarket, if I feel like it.
I don't save my special perfume for special occasions, I use it whenever I want to.
The words 'Someday and One Day' are fading away from my vocabulary.
If it's worth seeing, listening or doing, I want to see, listen or do it now...
I don't know what my friend's wife would have done if she knew she wouldn't be there the next morning, this nobody can tell.
I think she might have called her relatives and closest friends. She might call old friends to make peace over past quarrels. I'd like to think she would go out for Chinese, her favorite food.
It's these small things that I would regret not doing, if I knew my time had come. Each day, each hour, each minute, is special.
Live for today, for tomorrow is promised to no-one.
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Ride it like you stole it.
I added that last one. ;-)
7 comments:
Wow. For as heartwarmin' as this is, I wonder just how many of us will take this exceptional piece of advice 'n actually do as it suggests. We tend to get so caught up in the larger chaotic aspects of life that we sometimes forget to see the smaller, more intimate 'n much more meaningful things....until somebody gives us a swift kick in the rear 'n reminds us of it once again, as you so kindly 'n generously just did. So may I now publicly thank ya muchly for that swift kick :-)
Great note: it has helped inspire me to go on my long motorcycle trip in the next few weeks instead of putting it off till next year.
Big Al
This is so true. Life is so precious.
seems we are traveling similar times in space my friend.
i have only ever worn my good perfumes, because i want to ;) and...i went for chinese last night, it was excellent.
great post razor. thank you.
I always try to live live to the fullest and as if each day where my last. (Well, for the most part)
I will make plans... whether they get fulfilled or not, just depends on my maker.
Very thought provoking post. Thanks for sharing.
Yeah man...life's too short and we all need to spend quality time with our loved ones before it's too late for that special event to happen...
very deep and thought provoking post..I am going to have to look at what I'm doing wrong with my better half before it's too late
This truly hits home for me right now. This is just the sort of thing that has been weighing on my mind for awhile now. It's even more prevelant this last two months as we have lost two members of family, I was at one funeral just last week. Also, I find myself looking at the clock on Monday mornings at work and thinking, "Jeez, it feels like I was just here" and it has been a week. Was a time not to distant I was working long hours and missing out on being with life. I'm already gone by 6am and arrive back home at 6Pm during the week ( 1 1/2 hours and 75 miles on the road each day) and by the time everything is done at home it's 8pm. And this is after I've cut back on my overtime.
I finally realised I was missing LIFE.
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