FOODFORTHOUGHT

F O O D F O R T H O U G H T

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 ten 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 God litter your life with blessings!

"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."

PRAYER
"Lord Jesus, you are my hope and salvation. Be the ruler of my heart
and the master of my home. May there be nothing in my life that is
not under your lordship."

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# posted by F O O D F O R T H O U G H T @ 5:28 AM 0 comments