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 feel 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 have 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.

Pass it on

If you’ve received this it is because someone cares for you and it means there is probably at least someone for whom you care. 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.

This is not a chain letter. There is no threat of catastrophe if you don’t forward it, nor a promise of great blessing if you do. I don’t have to make up silly stories about people being hit by buses or crushed by falling disco balls for not passing this letter on.

But perhaps you’ve seen the result of neglect in your own relationships that you have allowed to fade, dissolve, and fall into disrepair. Take this opportunity to set a new trend. 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. It’s even better if they’re not the people you already correspond with every week. The more people that you send this to, the better you’ll get at reaching out to those you care about.

Forward this letter to people you care for. Do it, and reap the benefit of that warm feeling that comes from loving others. If you don’t do it, ask yourself why; are you too wrapped up in your own affairs, too busy to do the things you actually care about?

May love litter your life with blessings!

JUST SEND IT!!

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This document is part of our Tribute to Janice.