The other day I saw a quote from someone that said, "Don't save anything for a special occasion." I immediately thought of the Erma Bombeck quote entitled "If I Had My Life To Live Over." I won't quote the whole thing here; it's long. But the point is well made in a single statement:
I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a roseSometimes we imagine something really momentous is just ahead. Something we've been waiting a long time for. We put things in cupboards and drawers just awaiting that day. We'll really celebrate when that day comes, won't we? And when we look in the cupboard for something else and see that bottle of wine still there that we've been saving for a special occasion, we feel a little sad. Nothing big enough or important enough has come along to warrant opening that bottle. How dismal life feels at that moment.
before it melted in storage.
How easily we set ourselves up for disappointment through vague expectations. Jeez, we could at least have a concrete goal with a definite finish line. It must be a problem with a lot of women because the Bombeck quote has been ruefully shared over and over again since it was first written in 1979.
So last night I thought to myself, "This is as good as it's going to get, and you'd better drink that wine now while it's good." And I opened the wine. A lovely red. And let it breathe for awhile before pouring a glass. And then I toasted myself and my friend who gave me the wine, and slowly sipped and savored its loveliness. Just one glass. I'll have another tonight and each night until the bottle is finished.
And thus I acknowledge that it's time for me to begin living more in the moment. The past few years have held more lows than highs. It's a time of life when things don't necessarily balance out. So, if I'm alive today, it's a good day. That's a special enough occasion to open a saved bottle of wine and light that sculpted candle. Special enough.
4 comments:
I learned a long time ago not to keep things for 'special' occasions. I have advocated for years, long before Erma Bombeck's bombshell that life is to be lived as one is a long time dead. So I use my china, my crystal, family silver, open the exquisite wines for what some would see as an ordinary occasion. But no occasion is that ordinary - there is always a hint of something special if we take the time to think about it. Opening the wine you were 'saving' says a great deal about your journey and how far you have come. Apart from the fact that some wines are corked if they are left too long! Enjoy the wine, the memory and do what I do - wear the Chanel No 5 every day! Be kind to yourself.
Thanks for your comment, Bee. I liked your advice and I did enjoy that wine. I guess I have learned and relearned that lesson many times myself. There's something about the added factor of age that makes it all the more important not to wait. That applies to many things, really.
Wise words, well written from a lovely lady. Treasuring the ordinary and appreciating the daily has long been a guiding principle for me. You have inspired a little blog. I shall title it "The dandelion principle".
Ien, thanks for your comment, and I will definitely look for your blog post.
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