King of the Birds, Lord of the Skies

King of the Birds, Lord of the Skies
Gather ye rose buds while ye may, old time is still a flying;
and this same rose that you see today, tomorrow will be dying.
CarpeDiem: Seize the Day!
- Dead Poets Society

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

If I Had My Life to Live Over

Note: Erma Bombeck needed an organ transplant, & even though she could have been moved to the head of the waiting list, due to her prominence & wealth (like Mickey Mantle), she refused to do such, & subsequently, died from organ failure.

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER - by Erma Bombeck

I would have talked less & listened more. I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.
I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room & worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.
I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.
I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased & sprayed.
I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.
I would have sat on the lawn with my children & not worried about grass stains.
I would have cried & laughed less while watching television & more while watching life.
I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.
I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.
I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.
Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment & realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.
When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner."
There would have been more "I love you's". more "I'm sorry's", but mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute, look at it & really see it, live it, & never give it back.
Stop sweating the small stuff. Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who has more, or who's doing what.
Instead, let's cherish the relationships we have with those who do love us. Let's think about what we HAVE.
And what we are doing each day to promote ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally, as well as spiritually.
Life is too short to let it pass you by. We only have one shot at this & then it's gone.
I hope you all have a blessed day.

In memory of Erma Bombeck who lost her fight with cancer.

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