A site for my handmade cards, accompanied by my photos and written meanderings which are occasionally witty, often tongue-in-cheek, and rarely profound. Beginning in June 2013, you'll also see lots of NBUS, which is an acronym I coined for Never-Before-Used-Schtuff. Note: my Privacy Policy can be found at a tab below and you can find my NBUS Challenge online. I hope you'll join in the fun there! Thanks for coming by! Have a beverage and enjoy!

April 29, 2013

A Letter Celebrating "Life Is Too Short!"

Happy Monday!

I just came across a letter/poem that I have never read in full before.  It's been around a while and many of you may already be familiar with it.  I hope so.  Since I'm always nagging you about life being too short, it seemed appropriate to dedicate a special post to it here on my blog, especially at the start of a fresh week.  I am doing it as much for myself as for you, as now I'll have it in a place where I can refer to it again and again for inspiration.
 
Unfortunately, the author is unknown.  Fortunately, that gives me a little leeway to juizz it a bit.
Happy_Dance

We Might As Well Dance
 
Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming, or are too rigid to depart from their routine.

I cannot count the times I called my sister and said, "How about going to lunch in a half hour?"  She would stammer, "I can't.  . . . I have clothes on the line . . . My hair is dirty . . . I wish I had known yesterday . . . I had a late breakfast . . . It looks like rain."  And my personal favorite, "It's Monday." She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together.
 
Because we cram so much into our lives, we live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect!
 
"We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get the baby toilet-trained." "We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet." "We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college."

Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of "I'm going to," "I plan on," and "Someday, when things settle down a bit."
 
My lips have not touched ice cream in ten years. I love ice cream. It's just that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process. I got to thinking one day about all those women on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back. From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible. The other day I stopped the car and bought a triple-scoop cone. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.

Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry-go-round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight, or gazed at the sun into the fading night? Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask someone, "'How are you?," do you hear the reply?

Have your kids dropped in to talk and then just sat in silence while you watched Jeopardy on television, or sat immersed in your iGadget?
 
When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head? Ever told your child, "We'll do it tomorrow." and in your haste, not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch and let a good friendship die? Just called to say "Hi?"
 
When anyone calls my "seize the moment" friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind for new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Rollerblades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord.
 
Now, go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to, not something on your SHOULD DO list. If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call, and what would you say? And why are you waiting?
 
When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift, thrown away. Life is not a race. Take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over.  Life may not be the party we hoped for . . . but while we are here we might as well dance!
 
~~~
 
Enjoy your day!  No, seriously, enjoy.  LITS*!
 
*Life Is Too Short!

24 comments:

shirley-bee said...

I'll drink to that. I mean, dance!

Redanne said...

Hi Darnell, whoever wrote that sure understands life! What a great poem. I am dancing too ..... well maybe hobbling..... Hugs, Annie xx

Anonymous said...

Hear hear ! Darnell-What a lovely post :) and i am sure we are all guilty of this.Life is so busy and we cram it all in-we should all take time out to do the things we want to...those chores can wait ! :)
Nessa xx

Ustvarjalni utrinki Tamara P. said...

Lovely post, so true,
hugs Tamara

Bobby said...

I heard parts of this before and I try to follow the advice. My husband, on the other hand . . .

Sue said...

Oh my, I am so pleased that you have posted this Darnell. It sure has made me think about things
Thank you
Sue xx

maria f. said...

No, seriously... you're so right. Well, you're so right to share all that goodness that some smart gal wrote. Thanks. My fave line: "The other day I stopped the car and bought a triple-scoop cone. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy." I can't wait to visit MI this summer and indulge in the real good stuff.

And thank you so much, you lovely lady, for your kind words on my blog lately.

Di said...

Brilliant Darnell! I'm throwing away the dusters and vacuum cleaner for starters :) Err, if I remember where they are.

Seriously, it made me think!

Hugs, Di xx

Carol L said...

I'm giving you a big AMEN sister!! Great words to live by!!

Tracey McNeely said...

Lots to think about here Darnell and so perfectly said. Words to live by for all of us. Thank you.

Vickie Z said...

Time to have a glass of wine....put on roller-skates....do the bungee cord thing.... And hit the ground running!! Actually, I don't think I can do the bungee cord....just a titch skeered of heights!! Love to watch butterflies, flowers/plants grow, squirrels playing (we have a few and hubs is losing a little patience with how tricky they are eating his bird food)...ohhh-my peonies are growing and the jasmine smells sweet!! Wow.... You got me going girl!! I'm thinking that's a good thing!!

Vickie Z said...

Ohhh...I forgot-love ice cream but, until recently it's been years since I had some ( my dad and I used to have fresh strawberries in season, sliced with a little sugar over vanilla ice cream...yum!) I had a Klondike the other day....chocolate coating with nuts!!

Joyce said...

I have never seen this before, but oh, it is so true. Thank you for posting.

Anonymous said...

Thank you, Darlene, there are some truly wise people out there! So I was thinking ... ice-cream for breakfast this morning? Anita :)

Suze Bain said...

Ooh, just a sec Darnell whilst I get my creaky bones up off the sofa .... Okay, that's it .... Roll the music! (Great post, TFS) xx

Sian Ridley said...

Too true! I have to remind myself that I could get hit by a bus tomorrow, or even today! On a slightly somber note, I have lost a few friends over the past few months who were WAAAY too young to pass away and it does make you think.

I think I'm going to write this out (if you don't mind?!) and post it up on my wall in front of my desk so I look at it EVERY DAY! I have this terrible fear of failing, which has in some cases prevented me from trying, which is just ridiculous! I am my own worst enemy though, I have only myself to blame for the things I don't do...I know this! I can, I will, and I will dance at the same time!! Ha ha!

Thank you Darnell, you're a star ;)

Jessi Fogan said...

Like Shirley said, I'll drink to it. THEN I'll dance, and the dancing will be a lot more fun to watch ;)
I have seen this in some form before, but honestly? It bears repeating, because most of the time we fall back into the same pattern.
Yesterday I sat in the (chilly!) sun with bare feet, and listened to the birds, and watched the dog shred all the sticks she could find. It was glorious :)

Sandy said...

You know its funny that I read this as just a few days ago I actually was standing in the backyard and hubby came out and said hey what are you doing.. I was standing there watching butterflies there was about 20 of them circling a bush and they where just beautiful.. So yes treasure the small things because they are so fleeting..
Sandy :)

Jean said...

So very true ~ thanks for sharing!

scrappymo! said...

Dancing as I post back...
This is just so true.
Part of my one little word is to do just that...I am a bit OCD about my housework etc...I struggle to just let go and have fun.
Sometimes i am successful and other times I need to remember this story.

JD/ Jill said...

Very true...and thought provoking! Thank you for sharing.

Bonnie said...

Thanks so much for sharing this, Darnell! I know I needed reminding!

Jessica said...

Just what I needed to read. I told my DH today, "I surely dont want to be so busy planning my future that I miss my present"....glad to know Im not the inly ine determined to enjoy life to the fullest. I am truly blessed...tx f reminding me. :))
Jess

Carol Cel said...

Hi Darnell, I just got around to catching up on your blog earlier this week, and this post really resonated with me. Especially about letting friendships die. So today I called one of my best friends (who had moved away a few years ago). We were very good about keeping in touch and visiting the first few years. . . But I hadn't really talked to her in months until today. So thank YOU for reminding me to not let things slide! Hope you are enjoying your day! 3 weeks until my son's wedding. Really looking forward to that!