A Story To Live By 
by Ann Wells (Los Angeles Times) 

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 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 see 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. 

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 ten 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.