Nowadays it’s popular to claim people don’t have time to live. To some extent, it’s quite true. Every day of our life is very similar to the previous one. We wake up in the morning, rush to work, sit there for 8 hours, and get back home extremely tired. And there’s nothing that can interest us after such a hard day.
Another annoying thing our society does all the time is postponing everything for a better time. People don’t eat out of fancy plates they buy because they’re afraid to break them. Women don’t wear their expensive dresses because they can put a stain on them.
It’s like an enchanted circle. We all save up something for a better time or occasion. But what if this future never comes?
This lady, 83 years old, gave this theory a thought and wrote a letter to her friend. Here’s everything she wants to say to all the people in the world:
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.
I’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, I tell myself that it is special. Every day, every minute, every breath truly is a gift.
Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance.
Unfortunately, there’s no mention of who exactly was the author of this letter, but I’m sure everyone will agree it’s precious. People liked it so much that they were forwarding it from a person to person, hoping it would help someone.
Every single sentence of the letter bears pure wisdom in it. Let’s just try to stick to these recommendations and live our lives to the fullest!
