Posted by Charlie S (206.159.163.125) on June 30, 2001 at 17:31:15:
thought I'd better fill in. :-)
I had a very special teacher in high school many years ago whose husband
Unexpectedly and suddenly died of a heart attack.
About a week after his death, she shared some of her insight with a
classroom of students. As the late afternoon sunlight came streaming in
through the classroom windows and the class was nearly over, she moved a
few
things aside on the edge of her desk and sat down there.
With a gentle look of reflection on her face, she paused and said,
"Before
class is over, I would like to share with all of you a thought that is
unrelated to class, but which I feel is very important.
Each of us is put here on earth to learn, share, love, appreciate and
give
of ourselves. None of us knows when this fantastic experience will end.
It
can be taken away at any moment. Perhaps this is the powers that be way
of
telling us that we must make the most out of every single day."
Her eyes beginning to water, she went on, "So I would like you all to
make
me a promise. From now on, on your way to school, or on your way home,
find
something beautiful to notice. It doesn't have to be something you see
it
could be a scent - perhaps of freshly baked bread wafting out of
someone's
house, or it could be the sound of the breeze slightly rustling the
leaves
in the trees, or the way the morning light catches the autumn leaf as it
falls gently to the ground.
Please look for these things, and cherish them. For, although it may
sound
trite to some, these things are the "stuff" of life. The little things
we
are put here on earth to enjoy. The things we often take for granted. We
must make it important to notice them, for at any time...it can all be
taken
away."
The class was completely quiet. We all picked up our books and filed out
of
the room silently. That afternoon, I noticed more things on my way home
from
school than I had that whole semester. Every once in a while, I think of
that teacher and remember what an impression she made on all of us, and
I
try to appreciate all of those things that sometimes we all overlook.
Take
notice of something special you see on your lunch hour today.
Go barefoot. Or walk on the beach at sunset.
Stop off on the way home tonight to get a double-dip ice cream cone.
For as we get older, it is not the things we did that we often regret,
but
the things we didn't do.
If you like this, please pass it on to a friend, if not just delete it
and
go on with your life!
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the
moments
that take our breath away.
Charlie S