A STORY TO LIVE BY

My brother-in-law opened the bottom drawer
of my sister's bureau and lifted out a tissue-wrapped package.
"This," he said, "is not a slip. This is lingerie."
He discarded the tissue and handed me the slip.
It was exquisite;
silk, handmade and trimmed with a cobweb of lace.
The price tag with an astronomical figure on it was still attached.
"Jan bought this the first time we went to New York,
at least 8 or 9 years ago. She never wore it.
She was saving it for a special occasion.
Well, I guess this is the occasion."
He took the slip from me and put it on the bed with
the other clothes we were taking to the mortician.
His hands lingered of the soft material for a moment,
then he slammed the drawer shut and turned to me.
"Don't ever save anything for a special occasion.
Every day you're alive is a special occasion.

I remembered those words through the funeral
and the days that followed
when I helped him and my niece
attend to all the sad chores that follow an unexpected death.
I thought about them on the plane returning to California from
the Midwestern town where my sister's family lives.
I thought about all the things that she hadn't seen or heard or done.
I thought about the things that she had done without realizing
that they were special.
I'm still thinking about his words, and they've changed my life.
I'm reading more and dusting less.
I'm sitting on the deck and admiring the view
without fussing about the weeds in the garden.
I'm spending more time with my family and friends
and less time in committee meetings.
Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of experience to savor, not endure.
I'm trying to recognize these moments now and cherish them.
I'm not "saving" anything; we use our good china and crystal
for every special event-such as losing a pound, getting the sink unstopped,
the first camellia blossom.
I wear my good blazer to the market if I like it.
My theory is if I look prosperous, I can
shell out $28.49 for one small bag of groceries without wincing.
I'm not saving my good perfume for special parties;
clerks in hardware stores and tellers in banks
have noses that function as well as my party-going friends.
"Someday" and "one of these days" are losing their grip on my vocabulary.
If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing,
I want to see and hear and do it now.

I'm not sure what my sister would've done
had she known that she wouldn't be here
for the tomorrow we all take for granted.
I think she would have called family members and a few close friends.
She might have called a few former friends to apologize
and mend fences for past squabbles.
I like to think she would have gone out for a Chinese dinner, her favorite food.
I'm guessing -I'll never know.

It's those little things left undone that would make me angry
if I knew that my hours were limited.
Angry because I put off seeing good friends
whom I was going to get in touch with - someday.
Angry because I hadn't written certain letters
that I intended to write - one of these days.
Angry and sorry that I didn't tell my husband often enough
how much I truly love him.
I'm trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything
that would add laughter and luster to our lives.
And every morning when I open my eyes,
I tell myself that it is special.

Every day, every minute, every breath truly is a gift from God.
If you've received this it is because someone cares for you.
If you're too busy to take the few minutes that it would take right now
to forward this to friends,
would it be the first time you didn't do that little thing
that would make a difference in your relationships?
I can tell you it certainly won't be the last.

Take a few minutes to send this to a few people you care about,
just to let them know that you're thinking of them.

You've got to dance like nobody's watching, and
love like it's never going to hurt....

"People say true friends must always hold hands,
but true friends don't need to hold hands
because they know the other hand will always be there."
Enjoy the moment

Author Unknown

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