Live for today

A friend of mine opened his wife's underwear drawer and picked up a silk paper wrapped package:

'This, - he said - isn't any ordinary package.'

He unwrapped the box and stared at both the silk paper and the box.

'She got this the first time we went to New York , 8 or 9 years ago. She has never put it on , was saving it for a special occasion.

Well, I guess this is it.

He got near the bed and placed the gift box next to the other clothing he was taking to the funeral house, his wife had just died.

He turned to me and said:

'Never save something for a special occasion.

Every day in your life is a special occasion'.

I still think those words changed my life.

Now I read more and clean less.

I sit on the porch without worrying about anything.

I spend more time with my family, and less at work.

I understood that life should be a source of experience to be lived up to, not survived through.

I no longer keep anything.

I use crystal glasses every day...

I'll wear new clothes to go to the supermarket, if I feel like it.

I don't save my special perfume for special occasions, I use it whenever I want to.

T he words 'Someday....' and ' One Day...' are fading away from my dictionary.

If it's worth seeing, listening or doing, I want to see, listen or do it now....

I don't know what my friend's wife would have done if she knew she wouldn't be there the next morning, this nobody can tell.

I think she might have called her relatives and closest friends.
She might call old friends to make peace over past quarrels.

I'd like to think she would go out for Chinese, her favourite food.

It's these small things that I would regret not doing, if I knew my time had come..

Each day, each hour, each minute, is special.

Live for today, for tomorrow is promised to no-one..

Re: Live for today

Beautifully expressed. Some wisdom there we can all heed.

Re: Live for today

That all sounds very wise

Re: Live for today

After my mum died we found so much brand new underwear and nightdresses that she had bought for 'best' and had never worn them Talcum powder, bath salts unopened and never used all put aside for that special day.

I vowed I would never do that and I never have.

I try never to go to bed angry or leave the house without saying good-bye, I don't want my last words to a loved one to be angry words.

Re: Live for today

That brought a lump to my throat as I can see my mum in your story. She too had put new things by for a special occasion ...... and she had also bought a pair of top quality white cotton sheets for "when the day came"

It certainly makes you think...

Re: Live for today

Like Mags, it brought a lump to my throat as well. My mum used to buy different things and save them for that 'special occasion'. Unfortunately those 'special occasions' didn't happen for her.

I'm a great believer in living for today......nobody knows what will happen tomorrow.........

Re: Live for today

Our mums came from a very difficult age when keeping things for Sunday best was what you did. I think our mums saved those things hoping for a special day and yes it is very sad to know that day didn't come.

Re: Live for today

'Never save something for a special occasion.


Too true and without being overly cynical---the best `chat up` line I ever got was this;

Don`t put of until tomorrow what you can do today,try it,and if you like it then you can do it again tomorrow`

Re: Live for today

I like that, OG. My mom was the same about saving things for a special occasion ... which didn't come; she died quite young at 62.....

Re: Live for today

Same here, my mum died when she was 67 .