and so I hope it will for you too. It was sent to me by my friend Stan
Lobitz in Hazelton, Pa. who must have had it forwarded to him..... I
re-formatted it for easier reading -you know how these pesky E-mails often
scramble everything all out of kilter.....but it is all here, word for word.
Anyhow, read on,... -and absorb all my best, Doug
-------------------------------------------
>From Stan Lobitz <indy@intergrafix.net>
To: AnnMarie <AMSobeck@prodigy.net>, Bob jJackson <RJAC970261@aol.com>,
Buddy Lobitz <redrain@teamschoeps.org>, dan lobitz <D.Lobitz@ramsa.com>,
Doug Anderson <boogiewoogie12@hotmail.com>,
lisa lobitz <llobitz@earthlink.net>
Date: Wed, 06 Jun 2001
" AND LIKE NO ONE IS WATCHING"
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 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'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 often enough how much I truly love him. 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. You've got to dance like nobody's watching, and love
like it's never going to hurt....
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 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.
Enjoy the moment. IF you have a circle of friends, don't be surprised to see
this more than once.
_________________________________________________________________
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