Fw: [ScrappySwaps] O/T: Dance like no one is watching...

[Guest guest]

DANCE 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 se 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....

People say true friends must always hold hands, but true friends don't need

to hold hands because they know the other hand will always be there.

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.