Treasure Every Moment
We went out to eat at a local Mexican restaurant here in the Village of Oak Creek for lunch today. We sat outside and Lou Ann received birthday flowers from her daughter Uma while we were there. As we were eating we noticed a man being helped into his car by a caregiver. It was quite a struggle to get him seated properly. He was joyful the whole time he was being helped.
It reminded me of a man named Jim that I knew back in 1965 when I worked at a shoe store as a salesman. He was my manager and had served in the second world war and was stationed on Guam. He lamented that he was not back in battle again. I asked him why and he stated that he had never felt so alive! He said the Japanese were bombing the island daily. He said because he didn’t know if he would live through the day that his senses were heightened all the time. Each meal could be his last and his taste buds exploded, no pun intended, with flavor. When he made love, it could be his farewell pleasure and he never enjoyed it again as much as that time under those circumstances. He went on to say that he wanted to live as long as he could keep one eye open.
It is at times like these that I am almost overwhelmed with gratitude for everything that has occurred in my life. Lou Ann and I are both so excited about even the smallest things of life. We take our time to notice our surroundings and the people with whom we interact. We almost always find out the name of our server at a restaurant or other places of business and we ask them about their families and what they love to do. It is a simple act of kindness that can make the day of the person of whom we inquire.
Treasure every moment of today. Take time to notice others and let them know how much you appreciate them. At the very minimum get their name and greet them like it is important to you, because it is. Now I sound like a preacher, sorry about that! Stop and look at the sky and clouds and birds and flowers like you may never see them again. And the truth is for some of us, it could be the last time. Now is the only moment we have and it would be helpful to value it like it is our last one. For we are all treasures to be cherished forever and especially right now! From my heart to yours, Thomas