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 Midwest 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.

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 and daughter often enough how much I truly love them.

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 my self 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 a few people, would it be the first time you didn't do that little thing that would make a difference in your relationships? I cantell 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.

May love litter your life with blessings! JUST SEND IT!!

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.

~Author Unknown~

®The Almighty Sorceress, ©1999

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