I read this story several years ago and I know that I have even repeated it a few times. And it bears repeating again. I read it again in my devotions this morning. It is shared by an Ann Wells.
My brother-in-law opened the bottom drawer of my sister's bureau and lifted out a tissue-wrapped package...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 was still attached.
"Jan bought this the first time we went to New York, at least eight or nine 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 are 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'm still thinking about his words, and they've changed my life....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.
"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 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.
Grabs you, doesn't it? Makes me want to drain every last ounce of joy out of every day. It also breaks me free from the concrete of procrastination that sets up harder every time I'm tempted to whisper to myself, "Later,.... just put it off until later."
Every day is that special day you have been waiting for. There is a saying you hear frequently - "Every day above ground is a good day", and that's a true statement. But it is also what you do with that day. You can waste it doing nothing, or you can make a difference.
From the first time I read the above true story it changed how I looked at things. I love my china and was always afraid if I used it for every day it would get broke. It was expensive to replace. But when I read this, I began to see it didn't matter. If I don't enjoy what I have now, someone else will get to enjoy what I saved and hung on to.
I have used my good china for every day use. I have used fragile glasses - and I remember the first time I used a set for guests, a young man brought it to me after dinner and very apologetically handed me the glass - in two pieces. He had somehow snapped the thin stem on the glass. I just looked at him and smiled and told him that was ok, thank you for letting me know. I was more impressed that he didn't try to hide it and put it in the trash. He didn't leave it on the table for me to find when I cleaned it off. And he didn't draw attention, he brought it to me and handed it to me. And you know what? It didn't matter the glass was broke. I put the glass in the trash and went on with life. It didn't change anything. Sure, I'm down one glass, but it isn't a big deal. That's the first time I used those glasses and the lesson I learned was NOT to use them - even for teenagers!
I unpacked those glasses a couple weeks ago and wondered why I was keeping them. None of my kids wanted them - too fragile. I put them in my cabinet and now hubby and I drink out of them occasionally on a daily basis. And you know what? I'm USING them. I'm not saving them any longer for a special occasion. I haven't found the box with my good china in it yet, but when I do, I will also use them on an occasional basis and not just special occasions.
What are you saving for a special occasion? What are you holding on to, hoping to pass on to your kids and not using so that it will be in good shape for them? They won't know how to use it because you aren't using it to show them how. Where is the memory in the gift if it isn't being used?
I used to hold on to so many things - things my mother gave me, especially. Now I freely give them out if I come across something. What the recipient does with it doesn't matter. I have passed it on for their enjoyment. It could be a book. It could be an outfit. It could be jewelry. Or it could be a special memory.
A special memory. When was the last time you made a special memory with your family? When was the last time you made a difference in someone's life? When you are unable to do anything, what would you want to be remembered for? What memory of joy are you leaving behind you?
Don't wait any longer to do that special thing. Take that trip. Buy that special gift. Create a memory that will last beyond your lifetime. DO something.
I am. I'm letting go of what I hold on to (and not sharing) and making new memories. One day at a time.
Blessings!
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