A Story To Live By
by Ann Wells (Los Angeles Times)

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 on 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.

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."

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 thi, 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 someone you care about, just to let them know that you're thinking
of them.
Enjoy the moment!