my brother-in-law opened the bottom drawer of my sisters 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, dont 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 sisters family lives. i thought about all the things that she hadnt seen or heard or done. i thought about the things that she had done without realizing that they were special.
im still thinking about his words, and theyve changed the weeds in the garden. im spending more time with my family and friends and less time in committee meetings. whenever possible, life should be a pattern of experience to savour, not endure. im trying to recognize these moment now and cherish them.
im 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. im 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 its worth seeing or hearing or doing, i want to see and hear and do it now. im not sure what my sister wouldve done had she know that she wouldnt 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. im guessing. ill never know.
its 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 hadnt written certain letters that i intended to write one of these days. angry and sorry that i didnt tell my husband and daughter often enough how much i truly love them.
im 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 every day, every minute, every breath truly, is... a gift from god.
中文翻譯：姐夫打開姐姐桌子最下面的那層抽屜，拿出一個(gè)用紙裹著的包裹?！斑@不是件普通的襯裙，而是一件豪華內(nèi)衣，”他說(shuō)。他拆開包裝，把這件衣服遞給我。它做工精湛，質(zhì)地為絲綢，手工制作的，上面仍然貼著標(biāo)有天文數(shù)字的價(jià)簽。他繼續(xù)說(shuō)道，“這是簡(jiǎn)在我們第一次去紐約的時(shí)候買的，至少是八、九年前了吧。但她從來(lái)沒有穿過(guò)，她要把它留到特殊的場(chǎng)合穿。我覺得現(xiàn)在就是這個(gè)特殊的場(chǎng)合。”他從我手中接過(guò)衣服，把它和我們打算帶到葬禮的其他衣服放在一起。然后他轉(zhuǎn)向我，“不要把任何東西留到一個(gè)特殊的場(chǎng)合。你活著的每一天都是特殊的?！?BR> 我記住了這句話，而且它改變了我的生活?，F(xiàn)在我會(huì)讀更多的書，而很少打掃衛(wèi)生；我會(huì)坐在甲板上欣賞風(fēng)景，而不會(huì)再為花園中的雜草煩惱；我花更多的時(shí)間與家人和朋友在一起，而把很少的時(shí)間用在開會(huì)上。無(wú)論什么時(shí)候，只要可能的話，生活都應(yīng)該是盡情享受，而不是無(wú)奈的忍受。如果我喜歡的話，我就會(huì)穿著我的運(yùn)動(dòng)夾克去市場(chǎng)。我不會(huì)把我的名貴香水留在特殊的聚會(huì)再用，五金商店的店員，銀行的職員會(huì)和出席晚會(huì)的朋友一樣有著靈敏的嗅覺？“特殊的日子”，“那些特別的日子”這些詞語(yǔ)正從我的常用詞匯里淡出。只要是值得看，值得聽，值得做的事情，我現(xiàn)在就想去看，想去聽，想去做。如果我知道我所剩的時(shí)日不多的話，那么我會(huì)為那些沒有做的小事而生氣。我會(huì)因?yàn)橥七t去看一個(gè)我想？“特殊的日子”里聯(lián)系得朋友而生氣。我會(huì)因?yàn)闆]能寫那些想在“特別的日子”里寫的信而生氣。我會(huì)因?yàn)闆]有經(jīng)常告訴我的丈夫和我的女兒我多么地愛他們而感到生氣和懊悔。我努力地不推遲該做的事情，努力地留住任何可以給我們的生活帶來(lái)歡樂和光彩的瞬間。每天當(dāng)我睜開眼睛的時(shí)候，我告訴我自己今天就是特別的一天。每天，每一秒，每一次呼吸都是特別的禮物.
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, dont 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 sisters family lives. i thought about all the things that she hadnt seen or heard or done. i thought about the things that she had done without realizing that they were special.
im still thinking about his words, and theyve changed the weeds in the garden. im spending more time with my family and friends and less time in committee meetings. whenever possible, life should be a pattern of experience to savour, not endure. im trying to recognize these moment now and cherish them.
im 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. im 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 its worth seeing or hearing or doing, i want to see and hear and do it now. im not sure what my sister wouldve done had she know that she wouldnt 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. im guessing. ill never know.
its 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 hadnt written certain letters that i intended to write one of these days. angry and sorry that i didnt tell my husband and daughter often enough how much i truly love them.
im 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 every day, every minute, every breath truly, is... a gift from god.
中文翻譯：姐夫打開姐姐桌子最下面的那層抽屜，拿出一個(gè)用紙裹著的包裹?！斑@不是件普通的襯裙，而是一件豪華內(nèi)衣，”他說(shuō)。他拆開包裝，把這件衣服遞給我。它做工精湛，質(zhì)地為絲綢，手工制作的，上面仍然貼著標(biāo)有天文數(shù)字的價(jià)簽。他繼續(xù)說(shuō)道，“這是簡(jiǎn)在我們第一次去紐約的時(shí)候買的，至少是八、九年前了吧。但她從來(lái)沒有穿過(guò)，她要把它留到特殊的場(chǎng)合穿。我覺得現(xiàn)在就是這個(gè)特殊的場(chǎng)合。”他從我手中接過(guò)衣服，把它和我們打算帶到葬禮的其他衣服放在一起。然后他轉(zhuǎn)向我，“不要把任何東西留到一個(gè)特殊的場(chǎng)合。你活著的每一天都是特殊的?！?BR> 我記住了這句話，而且它改變了我的生活?，F(xiàn)在我會(huì)讀更多的書，而很少打掃衛(wèi)生；我會(huì)坐在甲板上欣賞風(fēng)景，而不會(huì)再為花園中的雜草煩惱；我花更多的時(shí)間與家人和朋友在一起，而把很少的時(shí)間用在開會(huì)上。無(wú)論什么時(shí)候，只要可能的話，生活都應(yīng)該是盡情享受，而不是無(wú)奈的忍受。如果我喜歡的話，我就會(huì)穿著我的運(yùn)動(dòng)夾克去市場(chǎng)。我不會(huì)把我的名貴香水留在特殊的聚會(huì)再用，五金商店的店員，銀行的職員會(huì)和出席晚會(huì)的朋友一樣有著靈敏的嗅覺？“特殊的日子”，“那些特別的日子”這些詞語(yǔ)正從我的常用詞匯里淡出。只要是值得看，值得聽，值得做的事情，我現(xiàn)在就想去看，想去聽，想去做。如果我知道我所剩的時(shí)日不多的話，那么我會(huì)為那些沒有做的小事而生氣。我會(huì)因?yàn)橥七t去看一個(gè)我想？“特殊的日子”里聯(lián)系得朋友而生氣。我會(huì)因?yàn)闆]能寫那些想在“特別的日子”里寫的信而生氣。我會(huì)因?yàn)闆]有經(jīng)常告訴我的丈夫和我的女兒我多么地愛他們而感到生氣和懊悔。我努力地不推遲該做的事情，努力地留住任何可以給我們的生活帶來(lái)歡樂和光彩的瞬間。每天當(dāng)我睜開眼睛的時(shí)候，我告訴我自己今天就是特別的一天。每天，每一秒，每一次呼吸都是特別的禮物.