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 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 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 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 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.
May love litter your life with blessings!