An 83-Year-Old Lady’s Letter to Her Friend Is Full of Life Lessons That We Can All Benefit From

Life is a race for some people: a race for a promotion at work, for the perfect body, for the January sales. In this crazy pursuit, we don’t have a spare minute to pause, look around, and say, “Life is so beautiful!” It may happen that this feeling of harmony never comes, and sometimes it comes when it’s too late. When you are 83, for example.

 We at Bright Side found a letter from an old lady to her friend and decided to share it with you. It is very important to understand what she implies as soon as possible and before it’s too late. It’s worth rewriting the last line of the letter on a note and putting it in a place where you can see it every day.  

"Dear Bertha,
I’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.

Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of experiences to savor, not to endure. I’m trying to recognize these moments now and cherish them.

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.

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 the bank. 

“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.

I’m not sure what others would’ve done had they known they wouldn’t be here for the tomorrow 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 out for a Chinese dinner or for whatever their favorite food was. I’m guessing; I’ll never know. 

It’s those little things left undone that would make me angry if I knew my hours were limited. Angry 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 would add laughter and luster to our lives.

  And every morning when I open my eyes, I tell myself that it is special. Every day, every minute, every breath truly is a gift from God.

Perhaps our life turned out to be a song different from what we wanted. But as long as we are here, we still can dance."

  Do you also tend to race through every single minute of your life? Share your opinion in the comments below, and let’s find our way to harmony together!

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