tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74658099201111402712024-02-20T22:09:39.323-08:00I Hope You DanceKen Aitkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15561317283895450005noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465809920111140271.post-45805282578228877092008-02-21T00:27:00.000-08:002008-02-21T02:13:32.395-08:00<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><span style=";font-family:";" >I Hope You Dance Via </span></b><b><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN-US">Theo Catsoulis</span></b></span></p> <u5:p></u5:p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><i><u><span style=";font-family:";color:blue;" >'I Hope You Dance...</span></u></i></b><b><i><span style=";font-family:";color:blue;" > '</span></i></b></span></p> <span style="font-size:130%;"><u5:p></u5:p></span> <p style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><i><span style=";font-family:";font-size:13;" ><br /></span></i><span style="font-size:100%;"><i><span style=";font-family:";color:blue;" >This was written by an 83-year-old lady to her friend. *The last line says it all.*</span></i></span></span></p> <span style="font-size:100%;"><u5:p></u5:p></span> <p><span style="font-size:130%;"><i><span style=";font-family:";font-size:24;color:blue;" ><span style="font-size:100%;">Dear Bertha,</span><br /></span></i><i><span style=";font-family:";font-size:13;" ><br /></span></i><i><span style=";font-family:";font-size:24;color:blue;" >I<span style="font-size:100%;">'m reading more and dusting less. I'm sitting in the yard 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 working.<br /></span></span></i><i><span style=";font-family:";font-size:13;" ><br /></span></i><span style="font-size:100%;"><i><span style=";font-family:";color:blue;" >Whenever</span></i><i><span style=";font-family:";color:navy;" > </span></i><i><span style=";font-family:";color:blue;" >possible, life should be a pattern of</span></i><i><span style=";font-family:";color:navy;" > </span></i></span><i><span style=";font-family:";font-size:24;color:blue;" ><span style="font-size:100%;">experiences to savour, not to endure. I'm trying to recognize these moments now and cherish them.</span><br /></span></i><i><span style=";font-family:";font-size:13;" ><br /></span></i><span style="font-size:100%;"><i><span style=";font-family:";color:blue;" >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, or the first Amaryllis blossom.<br /></span></i><i><span style=";font-family:";" ><br /></span></i></span><i><span style=";font-family:";font-size:24;color:blue;" ><span style="font-size:100%;">I wear my good blazer to the market. My theory is if I look prosperous, I can shell out $28.49 for one small bag of groceries. I'm not saving my good perfume for special parties, but wearing it for clerks in the hardware store and tellers at</span></span></i><span style="font-size:100%;"><i><span style=";font-family:";color:navy;" > </span></i><i><span style=";font-family:";color:blue;" >the bank.<br /></span></i><i><span style=";font-family:";" ><br /></span></i><i><span style=";font-family:";color:blue;" >"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.<br /></span></i><i><span style=";font-family:";" ><br /></span></i><i><span style=";font-family:";color:blue;" >I'm not sure what others would've done had they known they wouldn't be here for the tomorrow</span></i><i><span style=";font-family:";color:navy;" > </span></i><i><span style=";font-family:";color:blue;" >that we all take for granted. I think they would have called family members and a few close friends. They might have called a few former friends to apologize and mend fences for past squabbles. I like to think they would have gone</span></i><i><span style=";font-family:";color:navy;" > </span></i><i><span style=";font-family:";color:blue;" >out for a Chinese dinner or for whatever their favourite food was. </span></i></span></span></p> <span style="font-size:100%;"><u5:p></u5:p></span> <p><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i><span style=";font-family:";color:blue;" ><br />I'm guessing; I'll never know.<br /></span></i><i><span style=";font-family:";" ><br /></span></i></span><i><span style=";font-family:";font-size:24;color:blue;" ><span style="font-size:100%;">It's those little things left undone</span> <span style="font-size:100%;">that would make me angry if I knew my hours were limited. Angry</span></span></i><span style="font-size:100%;"><i><span style=";font-family:";color:navy;" > </span></i><i><span style=";font-family:";color:blue;" >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 and parents often enough how much I truly love them. I'm trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that</span></i><i><span style=";font-family:";color:navy;" > </span></i><i><span style=";font-family:";color:blue;" >would add laughter and lustre to our lives. And every morning when I open my eyes, tell myself that it is special.<br /></span></i><i><span style=";font-family:";" ><br /></span></i><i><u><span style=";font-family:";color:blue;" >Every day, every minute, every breath truly is a gift from God.<br /></span></u></i><i><span style=";font-family:";" ><br /></span></i><i><span style=";font-family:";color:blue;" >If you received this, it is because someone cares</span></i><i><span style=";font-family:";color:navy;" > </span></i></span><i><span style=";font-family:";font-size:24;color:blue;" ><span style="font-size:100%;">for you. If you're too busy to take the few minute</span>s <span style="font-size:100%;">that it takes right now to forward this, would it be the first time you didn't do the little thing that would make a difference in</span></span></i><span style="font-size:100%;"><i><span style=";font-family:";color:navy;" > </span></i><i><span style=";font-family:";color:blue;" >your relationships? I can tell you it certainly won't be the last.<br /></span></i><i><span style=";font-family:";" ><br /></span></i><i><span style=";font-family:";color:blue;" >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.<br /></span></i><i><span style=";font-family:";" ><br /></span></i><i><span style=";font-family:";color:blue;" >"People say true friends must always hold hands, but true friends don't need to hold hands because they know the other hand will always be there." </span></i></span></span></p> <span style="font-size:100%;"><u5:p></u5:p></span> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=";font-family:";" > <u5:p></u5:p></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><b><i><u><span style=";font-family:";color:blue;" >Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance</span></u></i></b></span></p><span style="font-size:100%;">_____________________________</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p><br /><b><i><u><span style=";font-family:";font-size:24;color:blue;" > </span></u></i></b><o:p></o:p></p> <u5:p></u5:p><u5:p></u5:p>Ken Aitkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15561317283895450005noreply@blogger.com0