_bbR3iY5lLSjzaZNziPYc6VX6tk Inspiration CAN be found EVERYWHERE!: mmm am I getting nostalgic? or pensive?

Friday, January 23, 2009

mmm am I getting nostalgic? or pensive?

'I Hope You Dance... '

This was written by an 83-year-old woman to her friend.

*The last line says it all. *

Dear Bertha,

I'm reading more and dusting less. I'm sitting in the yard 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 working.

Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of experiences to savor, not to 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, or the first Amaryllis blossom.

I wear my good blazer to the market. My theory is if I look prosperous, I can shell out $28.49 for one small bag of groceries. I'm not saving my good perfume for special parties, but wearing it for clerks in the hardware store and tellers at the bank.

"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 others would've done had they known they wouldn't be here for the tomorrow that we all take for granted. I think they would have called family members and a few close friends. They might have called a few former friends to apologize and mend fences for past squabbles. I like to think they would have gone out for a Chinese dinner or for whatever their favorite food was.

I'm guessing; I'll never know.

It's those little things left undone that would make me angry if I knew my hours were limited. 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 parents 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, tell myself that it is special.

Every day, every minute, every breath truly is a gift from God.


If you received this, it is because someone cares for you. If you're too busy to take the few minutes that it takes right now to forward this, would it be the first time you didn't do the 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.

"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."

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Love it. Gonna link to this.

Jill said...

I love that letter, it just shows that we can't take any minute for granted that we need to appreciate it all and enjoy life!

Jill said...

I love that letter! It just shows we should enjoy life and love every minute of it! We shouldn't take anything for granted we don't know how long we will be here!

Country Mouse, City Mouse said...

Yaya sent me.

I love this, how true. We should all try to live by this. Thanks for sharing it and making me think if just for the moment.

Lana@The Kids Did WHAT?! said...

That's an awesome poem. I got all misty eyed. So true. I came over from Yaya's blog. :)

CrazyMom said...

Yaya said what a cool posting this was, and she was right! Right on!

Unknown said...

indeed...we might as well!!! there is nothing like the richness of every day. there is nothing like the sweetness of just being. happy weekend and ty for a wonderful reminder ;).

Stacy Uncorked said...

Yaya sent me over here... ;) LOVE that! I just forwarded it to my best friend...I know she's going to love it too! :) Thanks for sharing! :)

Mammatalk said...

Very good reminder about what is important in life. Thanks for visiting me on my big, bloggy day!

Inspiration CAN be found EVERYWHERE said...

Thank you ladies. Thank you Yaya for all the send overs. I hope you all had a wonderful day and remembered "to dance"

A Friendly Reader Only said...

Yaya sent me to visit - Glad I came. Enjoyed the letter and feel like doing a little dance right now. Thanks :}

Leslie said...

Yaya sent me. I love this letter. I'd read it before and it always brings a little tear to my eyes. I turned 50 last year, and yes, the older I get the less I try to hold back.

Rhea said...

Great letter. Really focuses on the importance in life. I like that.