Thread Content
Reposted to HaiCi for sharing among friends. Every day is wonderful. A friend of mine opened his wife’s underwear drawer and picked up a package wrapped in silk paper: “This,” he said, “isn’t some ordinary package.” He unwrapped it 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’s never worn it; she was saving it for a special occasion. Well, I guess this is that occasion.” He went over to the bed and placed the gift box next to the other clothes he was taking to the funeral home—his wife had just passed away. 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 realized that life should be an opportunity to experience things, rather than just getting through it. I no longer keep anything back. I use crystal glasses every day. I wear new clothes when I 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. The words “Someday...” and “One Day...” are disappearing from my vocabulary. If something is worth seeing, hearing, or doing, I want to do it now. I don’t know what my friend’s wife would have done if she had known she wouldn’t be alive the next morning; no one can say. I think she might have called her relatives and closest friends. She might have reached out to old friends to resolve past disputes. I hope she would have gone out for Chinese food, her favorite food. It’s these little things that I would regret not doing if I knew my time was up. I would regret it because I wouldn’t be able to see the friends I’d meet anymore, nor write those letters I wanted to write “someday.” I would feel sad because I wouldn’t have had enough time to tell my brothers and sons just how much I loved them. Now, I try not to delay or postpone anything that could bring laughter and joy into our lives. And every morning, I tell myself that this could be a special day. Every day, every hour, every minute is special. One of my close friends opened his wife’s underwear drawer and took out a package wrapped in silk paper. “He said that something like this is not just an ordinary package. ”He opened the box inside the silk paper and stared at those two items. “About eight or nine years ago, when we first went to New York, she bought these things. She has never worn anything inside this. She thought about wearing this dress on special occasions again. Well, I think this is the special moment now. ”He sat by the bed and placed the gift box with the clothes he was going to take to the funeral home. His wife has just passed away. He turned to me and said, “Never wait until a certain moment to do something you want to do; every day of your life is actually that special ‘moment’.” ” I still think about that sentence that changed the way I viewed life. These days I spend more time thinking and less time dealing with trivial matters. I sat carefree on the porch, watching the world around me. I place more emphasis on spending time with my family, avoiding spending too much time on pointless work. I have come to understand that life is a series of experiences in which one adheres to their principles, rather than just living through it in a hasty manner. I no longer keep all the things I’ve treasured. As long as I like it, I drink from a crystal glass every day. If I’m happy, I’ll wear brand-new clothes and go shopping at the store. I no longer reserve expensive perfumes for special occasions; I use some whenever I feel like it. “Phrases like “there will always be a day” and “someday in the future” have disappeared from my dictionary of life. If there is anything worth my attention, my listening, or my effort, I will immediately pay attention to it, listen to it, and make an effort. No one knows what my dear friend’s wife would do if she truly knew that she was going to die soon. I think she will call her relatives and closest friends. She might explain the argument over the sunset to her old friend and ask for their understanding. I would also think that she might go to a Chinese restaurant to order her favorite food. If it were me, I would definitely feel regretful if I didn’t finish those small tasks before realizing it was time to let go. I will certainly feel regretful, because I won’t be able to visit my friends any more, or correspond with them... those letters I used to want to write to them someday in the future. I will be filled with regret and sorrow, because I have not yet conveyed my feelings to my brothers and grandchildren; at least I haven’t had enough time to express to them my deep love for them. Now, I try to avoid delaying, postponing, or holding onto anything in my life that can bring joy and laughter. And at every sunrise, I tell myself that it will be a wonderful and wonderful day. Every day, every hour, every minute will be unique and wonderful.