Everyday is a Special Occasion

When I go to my mom's house, I see year-by-year those beautiful plates and bowls, and nice tea pot sets that she keeps at the cupboards; many perfumes unopened in her drawers... Then one day, I got an opportunity of having family dinner, and took out her plates and bowls for everyone to use. I told mom every time we meet should be considered as special time to use them, and I mean frequently.

If you want to understand what I mean, read this story..

A friend of mine opened his wife's underwear drawer and picked up a silk paper wrapped package:

'This' - he said - 'isn't any ordinary package.'

He unwrapped the box and stared at both the silk paper and the box.

'She got this the first time we went to New York , 8 or 9 years ago. She has never put it on, was saving it for a special occasion.

'Well, I guess this is it.' He got near the bed and placed the gift box next to the other clothing he was taking to the funeral house, his wife had just died..

He turned to me and said: 'Never save something for a special occasion. Every day in your life is a special occasion'.

I still think those words changed my life.

Now I read more and clean less.

I sit on the porch without worrying about anything.

I spend more time with my family, and less at work.

I understood that life should be a source of experience to be lived up to, not survived through. I no longer keep anything.

I use crystal glasses every day... I'll wear new clothes to go to the supermarket, if I feel like it.

I don't save my special perfume for special occasions, I use it whenever I want to.

The words 'Someday...' and ' One Day...' are fading away from my dictionary. If it's worth seeing, listening or doing, I want to see, listen or do it now..

I don't know what my friend's wife would have done if she knew she wouldn't be there the next morning, this nobody can tell.. I think she might have called her relatives and closest friends. She might call old friends to make peace over past quarrels. I'd like to think she would go out for Chinese food, her favorite. It's these small things that I would regret not doing, if I knew my time had come.

Each day, each hour, each minute, is special. Live for today, for tomorrow is promised to no-one.


'He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.' ~ Romans 14:6