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drawson
TDR MEMBER
I had a very special teacher in high school many years ago whose husband
unexpectedly 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 one 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 anytime... 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 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.
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments
that take our breath away.
unexpectedly 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 one 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 anytime... 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 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.
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments
that take our breath away.
