Why Life Struggles are So Important?

Photo by Michael Y. Wang

A man found a cocoon of an emperor moth. He took it home so that he could watch the moth come out of the cocoon. On the day a small opening appeared, he sat and watched the moth for several hours as the moth struggled to force the body through that little hole.

The moth seemed to be stuck and appeared to have stopped making progress. It seemed as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther. The man, in his kindness, decided to help the moth; so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The moth then emerged easily. But its body was swollen and small, its wings wrinkled and shriveled. The man continued to watch the moth because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to and able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the little moth spent the rest of its life crawling around with a small, swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.

The man in his kindness and haste did not understand that the struggle required for the moth to get through the tiny opening was necessary to force fluid from the body of the moth into its wings so that it would be ready for flight upon achieving its freedom from the cocoon. Freedom and flight would only come after the struggle. By depriving the moth of a struggle, he deprived the moth of health.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If we were to go through our life without any obstacles, we would be crippled. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. Give every opportunity a chance, leave no room for regrets, and don’t forget the power in the struggle.

Success is The Path You Choosed

Photo by haX0r

Many people believe that success is a result or a specific outcome, a destination that they will reach someday. They may define success as a certain amount of money in the bank, a certain kind of car or house, job, degree, or specific relationship. All of these may be parts of your success – targets you achieved along the way – but it is not success itself .

Success is more than just the realization of one target, or more. Target is important for improvements and life, but that target is not ‘success’ itself. To have a car, a house, or a job does not mean you have become successful. These targets are a leap in your process- facilities to reach a destination – but not the targets themselves.

Success is not a specific destination; success is the path you choose. It is a process, a journey that will never end. It is a continuous improvement to your highest destination, vision, dreams-in all aspects. I know a lot of people who are very successful financially but do not feel happy. They are not really successful. Others havegreat relations, but not successful financially. None of these people has exactly reach success.

Writer and philosopher Earl Nightingale said that success is ‘a progressive realization of an invaluable dream’. This means success is an extending realization, a growing wisdom.
Because success is a path you choose, it is important that you keep these two things in mind :

1. You have to be sure about what you really want in your life, in your heart and soul.

2. You have to know that it is your path, the path that you have chosen yourself.

You are the only one who can define success to yourself. Make sure you choose your own way, and not chasing a target that people around told you as something that you ‘must’ want. If not, you will find yourself at the top of a ladder, but that ladder is leaning on the wrong wall!

Success Comes From The Inside, Not The Outside

Success comes from inside ourselves. Some people argue that their success are measured by their status, skills, environmental factors, or chances. Success can be affected by external or environmental factors, but doesn’t decided or caused by those factors.

The environments you grew up on, how much money you have right now in your bank account, whether you love your current job or not, or the feelings that you are limited in one thing or not, all these factors will just cause a slight difference. It does not matter how your parents treated or not treated you. It does not matter whether you are eighty years old or twelve years old, whether you have a Ph.D degree or not or maybe you did not finish high school. There is no meaning whatsoever in your current job, or whether your relationship is devastated or extraordinary. History proves that there are hundreds of people with less perfect conditions who achieved great success even though it seemed that they were facing extraordinary challenges.

Walt Disney is a great example. He was fired once because he did not have enough creativity, and he failed six times before he could realize Disneyland.

George Lucas had no money after finishing Star Wars he could not make posters for his movie premiere. In the end of the shooting, when they had to take a scene where hundreds of people welcoming the heroes back from war, they had almost no money to hire extras. They solved this problem with taking the shot of a few people they could hire, and then asked them to move to one part of a very large hall. Then, they stopped shooting, and asked those people to move to another part of the hall, and take the shot again. They repeat this shot five times and combine them, so with just a few people moving from one side of the hall to the others, they created an illusion of hundreds of extras and a hall full of people.

At the end of the shooting, George Lucas had so many debts, but he never doubted his vision and dreams. He asked the studio whether they were interested to give him the rights to sell Star Wars products and toys so he could pay his debts. Until twenty years later, Lucas company had sold more than 1,5 billion dollar in Star Wars toys.

With the profit from the toys, he built the best special effects studio in the world, Industrial Light and Magic, and shot again the Star Wars trilogy exactly the way he imagined at first. He released again those films to receive reviews full of compliments and introduce Star Wars to its new fans generations. His film became number one, when it was released the first time, and also the second time. Although there were many challenges, Lucas believes in his visions and became more successful than his wildest dreams.

A Glass of Milk

Photo by wagar bukhari

One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water.

She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, “How much do I owe you?”

“You don’t owe me anything,” she replied. “Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness.”

He said….. “Then I thank you from my heart.” As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit.

Year’s later that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease. Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room.

Dressed in his doctor’s gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to the case.

After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval.

He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill.

She read these words…..

“Paid in full with one glass of milk”

(Signed)
Dr. Howard Kelly

Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed: “Thank You, God, that Your love has spread abroad through human hearts and hands.”

I Want To Be Extraordinary !!

Photo by Amilliss

Our eyes, mind and heart always want to see everything as beautiful as we see in our dream. But why reality is not always like we wanted? You certainly have dreams, hopes, wishes or desires. The question is, has any of it came true? Or how much have you tried to realize it?
This article will challenge you to design a better future. But before you continue reading, prepare a pencil and a book to note important things. Also, prepare your mind, heart, sincerity and honesty to accept these theorem below :

• An honest self acknowledgment is the key to your success

• Courage will deliver you to the right path

• A willing to learn behavior is an enlightening friend in your journey

• Modesty is the weapon to get through all boundaries

After you have understood all the theorem above, lets sail into your self to understand it, find your dream and achieve it.

Dreams

An honest self recognition is a wise attitude before you want to be extraordinary. That way, you will find your strength and weakness. “Me and my dreams” is the deepest form of need inside of everyone. To recognize yourself you have to reset what your desires exactly are. What I want to be in the next 3, 5, 10 years ahead? Extraordinary people always search for environments that are able to support themselves to become what they dream. If they have not found it, they don’t give up! Instead, they create their own environment. Please introspect yourself, are your dreams in accordance and have the appropriate environment. If not, you have to dare yourself to get out from the path you are on. Take courage to change your way! Then, decided your desire and hold on to it. Recognize yourself with your dreams.

Self image

How do you see yourself? Do you see yourself as a weak, low, apathy, selfish, sucks, shy, afraid to fail person or any other negative act and attitude? A good self image is an absolute precondition to become an extraordinary man. If all this time you are pessimistic to yourself, then it is time to change yourself to be optimistic, highly appreciated, ambitious, and dare to take on challenges and risks. Each person has the right to be successful. Each person has the right to decide his desire as high as possible, has the right to get his desire. As long as you feel unworthy, incapable, it means you insult yourself too much. You have stepped on your self image. That is why you have to fix the way you see yourself. Fix your self image.

Self esteem

Self esteem is your feelings or how much you love yourself. Have you ever imagine yourself as a famous movie star, adored and appreciated by many people? Don’t you feel so extraordinary in your heart and feelings? Doesn’t it affect your feelings? Doesn’t it then you come to love yourself more? That is a self esteem. To love, proud, and care to yourself is an important essence to be extraordinary. It is impossible for others to appreciate you if you never appreciate yourself either. If you give yourself a perfect score, 10, then others will also give 10, even more! On the contrary, if you don’t appreciate yourself, so cheaply appreciate yourself, others will do the same to you. So, appreciate yourself as much as possible.

Challenge yourself

It is impossible for you to be always motivated all the time. There are times when life seems so difficult, that you lost your motivation. But on the contrary, if you are feeling happy you will get that motivation back. Motivation will emerge according to your life value, desire, necessity and ambition. Motivation also comes if we are going to travel, our life is in threat or when we are facing a risk. So, when you lost your motivation, it is time to challenge yourself. Create again that lost motivation. How? Do these things : Stay enthusiastic, fill yourself with anxiousness, read books, listen to motivation cassette, contemplate your dreams, imagine when your dream are fulfilled, realize that you are in the process of change, and stop hoping that life will be easier. Challenging yourself means you dare to acknowledge every strength and weakness. You have to be ready to change them into power and strength. Dare to challenge yourself means you have entered the world of the highest commitment in the process to achieve your own victory.

Take a step forward

After you are certain with the path you chose, it is time to take a step forward. Preparation is absolutely needed in your journey to become an extraordinary man. Things that you have to do are : change frustration into action. It is time for you to leave your concepts, methods, work strategies and old habits. Change to new ones. It is time to rise, wake up and realize that you can be extraordinary if you are willing to pay the price. What do you have to do? Make a list of the best attitude and throw the bad ones. Keep your spirit and passion, keep learning to develop your potency, personality, challenges, always speak positively, make a better achievement, always in contact with everyone, always motivateyourself all the time, and understand the law of harvest. If you want durian, don’t plant a corn seed.

Become Extraordinary

After recognizing yourself, dare to challenge yourself, start to move forward into improvement, progress, positive self-development, then get ready to accept your birth as an extraordinary man. Think first before act is the way of extraordinary men. Your vehicle is a facility you use to go to your desired future. Your vehicle is your spirit.

Willingness

In the end, willingness and choices will decide whether you want to be extraordinary man or just ordinary. No matter who you are, where you came from, if you are willing and if you choose to become an extraordinary man, you can. But if you don’t want to, your life will never change. If you don’t make a choice, don’t blame your circumstances. You are the one who decide where your destination is, with who, what to bring, how much supplies, when to leave, which way to travel, everything depends on your own choice and decision. Becoming extraordinary is just one of so many choices you can make in your life. You can if you want it.

“The Pickle Jar”.

Photo by Nicholas Bonanno

 A story about love of a father.

Here it is ….

The pickle jar as far back as I can remember sat on the floor beside the dresser in my parents’ bedroom. When he got ready for bed, Dad would empty his pockets and toss his coins into the jar.

As a small boy I was always fascinated at the sounds the coins made as they were dropped into the jar. They ended with a merry jingle when the jar was almost empty. Then the tones gradually muted to a dull thud as the jar was filled. I used to squat on the floor in front of the jar and admire the copper and silver circles that glinted like a pirate’s treasure when the sun poured through the bedroom window.

When the jar was filled, Dad would sit at the kitchen table and roll the coins before taking them to the bank. Taking the coins to the bank was always a big production. Stacked neatly in a small cardboard box, the coins were placed between Dad and me on the seat of his old truck. Each and every time, as we drove to the bank, Dad would look at me hopefully. “Those coins are going to keep you out of the textile mill, son.

You’re going to do better than me. This old mill town’s not going to hold you back.” Also, each and every time, as he slid the box of rolled coins across the counter at the bank toward the cashier, he would grin proudly.

“These are for my son’s college fund. He’ll never work at the mill all his life like me.” We would always celebrate each deposit by stopping for an ice cream cone. I always got chocolate. Dad always got vanilla. When the clerk at the ice cream parlor handed Dad his change, he would show me the few coins nestled in his palm. “When we get home, we’ll start filling the jar again.”

He always let me drop the first coins into the empty jar. As they rattled around with a brief, happy jingle, we grinned at each other. “You’ll get to college on pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters,” he said. “But you’ll get there. I’ll see to that.”

The years passed, and I finished college and took a job in another town. Once, while visiting my parents, I used the phone in their bedroom, and noticed that the pickle jar was gone. It had served its purpose and had been removed. A lump rose in my throat as I stared at the spot beside the dresser

Where the jar had always stood. My dad was a man of few words, and never lectured me on the values of determination, perseverance, andfaith. The pickle jar had taught me all these virtues far more eloquently than the most flowery of words could have done.

When I married, I told my wife Susan about the significant part the lowly pickle jar had played in my life as a boy. In my mind, it defined, more than anything else, how much my dad had loved me. No matter how rough things got at home, Dad continued to doggedly drop his coins into the jar. Even the summer when Dad got laid off from the mill, and Mama had to serve dried beans several times a week, not a single dime was taken from the jar.

To the contrary, as Dad looked across the table at me, pouring catsup over my beans to make them more palatable, he became more determined than ever to make away out for me. “When you finish college, Son,” he told me, his eyes glistening, “You’ll never have to eat beans again…unless you want to.”

The first Christmas after our daughter Jessica was born, we spent the holiday with my parents. After dinner, Mom and Dad sat next to each other on the sofa, taking turns cuddling their first grandchild. Jessica began to whimper softly, and Susan took her from Dad’s arms. “She probably needs to be changed,” she said, carrying the baby into my parents’ bedroom to diaper her. When Susan came back into the living room, there was a strange mist in her eyes. She handed Jessica back to Dad before taking my hand and leading me into the room.

“Look,” she said softly, her eyes directing me to a spot on the floor beside the dresser. To my amazement, there, as if it had never been removed, stood the old pickle jar, the bottom already covered with coins. I walked over to the pickle jar, dug down into my pocket, and pulled out a fistful of coins.

With a gamut of emotions choking me, I dropped the coins into the jar. I looked up and saw that Dad, carrying Jessica, had slipped quietly into the room. Our eyes locked, and I knew he was feeling the same emotions I felt.

Neither one of us could speak.

An Interesting Online Chat (Humor)

Our FRIEND WAS chatting with a female -  (Online chat).

(Background both are s/w engineers by the way and both work for real big MNC’s)

Hero : Hey…GM (Good Morning)… How’s u doing today?

Female: VGM…Day is going good and it got better having found u on chat

Hero : wow…am honoured, u know what, my day starts only when I find you on Chat

Female: Yep…me too feel the same…Brb (be right back)’ll get some Coffee.

Hero : OK

(Hero waits impatiently. Meanwhile, his manager comes to his desk ).

Manager : Hey, I need some help from you

Hero : [**** This guy always comes at wrong time] Yeah tell me.

Manager : Could u write a program for me which generates nth prime number, Given value of n. Would you give this by today evening?

Hero : I would do that, but I think it’s quite hard, is it ok with you, if I Give it by tomorrow evening.

Manager: Yeah, that would be fine. Thank you [Leaves the place]

(Our hero sighs and stares at his monitor waiting impatiently for Female to Arrive. All of a sudden smiles on his face. Over to chat window…)

Female: Hey, am back

Hero : cool, you know what my manager does, he’s kinda….. Keeps asking stupid tings, tries to give me stupid work…. $*#&$@

Female: Yeah, it’s the same everywhere. Real sick ppl these managers are!!

Hero : Yep, u rite!!

Female: Hey, can u do me a favor

Hero : *smiles* sure, why not.

Female: Hey, I want you to write me a program to print nth prime Number, given N. Would you give that to me by tomorrow evening? Plzzz. You know it’s real Urgent for me to work this out

Hero : hey, that’s a one-hour’s work. Sure check Ur mail in an hour from now.

Ok?

Female: THIS IS WHAT I ASKED U WHEN I CAME TO YOUR WORK PLACE. NOW YOU KNOW WHO I AM …!!

AND ONE MORE POINT…. YOUR 1 HOUR TIME STARTS NOW !!

చిరునవ్వుల తొలకరిలో

నిజంగానే చిరునవ్వుల తోనూ ,సిరిమల్లెల్ల తోనూ,హృదయాలు పలుకుతాయి.అతను ప్రేయసి కోసం వసంతాలు దోసిట పట్టగలడు,తారలను దీపాలు చెయ్యగలడు. ఆమె కూడా అంతే,ఉరికే సెలయేరులనూ,ఉరిమే మేఘాలనూ అతనిలోనే చూస్తుంది.

చిరునవ్వుల  తొలకరిలో 

సిరిమల్లెల చినుకులలో 

పలికేనులే హృదయాలే

పలికేనులే హృదయాలే

తొలి వలపుల కలయికలో         "చిరునవ్వుల " 

వసంతాలు దోసిట దూసి విసిరెను నీ ముంగిలిలో 

తారలనే దివ్వెలు చేసి  వెలిగింతు నీ కన్నులలో

నీవే నా జీవనాదిగా 

నీవే నా జీవనాదిగా 

ఎగసేను  గగనాల అంచులలో

విరియునులే ఆ గగనాలే నీ వెన్నెల కౌగిలిలో           "చిరునవ్వుల" 

ఉరికే  సెలయేరులన్నీ ఒదిగిపోవు నీ నడకలలో 

ఉరిమే మేఘాలన్నీ ఉలికిపడును నీ పలుకులలో 

నీవే నా పుణ్య మూర్తిగా 

నీవే నా పుణ్య మూర్తిగా 

ధ్యానింతు నా మధుర భావనలో

మెరియునులే ఆ భావనలే ఇరు మేనుల అల్లికలో       "చిరునవ్వుల" 

చిత్రం             చాణక్యచంద్రగుప్త 
రచన             సి.నారాయణ రెడ్డి 
సంగీతం         పెండ్యాల

మొదలు ఎక్కడో , చివర అక్కడే.

ఏ దారమో పపందే వెళ్ళదే ఆ మబ్బు దాకా గాలిపటం.. అన్నారు సిరివెన్నెల ఒక పాటలో..
ఎంత గూడార్ధం దాగుందో అనుకున్నాను ఆ పాట విన్నప్పుడు.
అప్పుడే పుట్టిన పసికందు ని చూశాను మొన్న. ముడతలు పడిన చర్మం, బలం లేని వేళ్ళు, నిలపలేని మెడ..సృష్టి విచిత్రానికి ప్రత్యక్ష సాక్ష్యం గా ఉంది ఆ చిట్టి రూపం.
అప్పుడే పుట్టిన పాపాయి చేతికి స్పర్శ తెలియదు. తన వేళ్ళూ ఉన్నాయన్న విషయమే తనకి తెలియదు. కాలక్రమేణా ఆ చిట్టి చేతుల ఉపయోగం, వాటి ఉనికి తెలిసి వస్తుంది. బలం కలిగే కొలది, వాటి పట్టు పెరుగుతుంది.
అలాగే వాళ్ళు పుట్టిన వెంటనే ఎవరిని కళ్ళతో గుర్తించలేరు. స్పందించలేరు. కాని వినగలరు, చూడగలరు.
ఐనా అంతా మనకి ముద్దుగా, ఎంతో కనువిందుగా ఉంటుంది. ఎంత చిన్న చిన్న చేతులో, ఎంత చిన్న కాళ్ళో అంటూ తెగ ముద్దు చేస్తాం. ముచ్చట పడతాం.
మొత్తం కాకపోయిన, ఇంచు మించు ఇదే శరీర స్థిథి మనిషి జీవిత కాలం లో ఇంకోక సారి వస్తుంది. వార్ధక్యం లో.
కాని అప్పుడు ఏదీ ముద్దుగా , ముచ్చటగా అనిపించదు. వాంగి పోయిన అవయవాలు, పట్టు లేని చేతులు, వాలిపోతున్న తల..మొదలు ఎలాగో, చివర అలాగే..

ఎమి రాని, చేతకాని పసి బిడ్డకు సర్వం తానే అయ్యి చూశే తల్లి, తిరిగి తన వృధ్యాపం లో ఆ బిడ్డకు భారమయి పోతోంది.. ఇది మనిషి సృష్టించిన చిత్రం. సృష్టి విచిత్రం ముందు మనిషి సృష్టించిన చిత్రం బలం గా లేదు?

నీ చేతులకు సత్తువ లేనప్పుడు నా చేతులే నీ చేతులుగా చేసి నీకు అన్ని చేశాను, నీ కు నడక రానప్పుడు నా చేతులు అందించి నీన్ను నడిపించాను, నువ్వు కింద పడిపోతే నేను కంట నీరు పెట్టాను, మరి నా చేతుల లో సత్తువ లేనప్పుడు, నువ్వు నాకు నీ చేయి అందించాలి కదా?

చిట్టి రూపాన్ని చూసినప్పుడు ముచట వేయటానికి కారణం ఏమిటి? ముసలి రూపాని చూసినపుడు కలగపోవటానికి కారణం ఏమిటి?

రెండు శరీరాలే కదా?

కొన్ని కారణలు ఉన్నాయి.

పసితనం నిషకల్మషమైనది. వారి ఆలోచనలు, ఆశలు, అభిరుచులు, కనీసం వారి ఊహ కూడా మనకి తెలియదు. అది దైవత్వం. ఎమి రాయని కాయితం.

కాని వృధ్యాప్యం అలా కాదు. కనీసం మనం అలా అనుకోము. అవయవాలలో బలం లేకపోయినా, ఏమీ ఆలోచించే స్థితిలో వారు లేకపోయినా, వారి జేవితం కాలం అనుభవాలు, లోటు పాట్లు, ఇష్టాయిష్తాలు, రాగ ద్వేషాలు మనకు తెలియటమే..

నిజంగా అవసరమొచ్చినా, వారికి సహాయ పడటానికి ఆలోచిస్తాం, పూర్వపు అనుభవాలను మర్చిపోము. ఆ సందర్భం లో అలా అన్నారని, లేక మన మాటతో ఏకీభవించలేదని..గుర్తు తెచ్చుకొని మరీ కారణాల పరదాలను అడ్డు కట్టేస్తాం.

కాని సృష్టి తీరు ని గౌరవించాలి. పుట్టినపుడు ఎలా ఉందొ, పోయేటప్పుదు శరీర స్థితి అలాగే ఉంటుంది కాబట్టి, ఏ అరమరికలు లేకుండా, వీళ్ళని వాళ్ళలాగే స్వీకరించగలిగితే ఆ రెండు దశలలో లేని మనం దైవత్వాన్ని పొందినట్టే!

My mom only had one eye

My mom only had one eye. I hated her… She was such an embarrassment. She cooked for students and teachers to support the family.

There was this one day during elementary school where my mom came to say hello to me. I was so embarrassed.

How could she do this to me? I ignored her, threw her a hateful look and ran out. The next day at school one of my classmates said, ‘EEEE, your mom only has one eye!’

I wanted to bury myself. I also wanted my mom to just disappear. I confronted her that day and said, ‘ If you’re only gonna make me a laughing stock, why don’t you just die?’

My mom did not respond… I didn’t even stop to think for a second about what I had said, because I was full of anger. I was oblivious to her feelings.

I wanted out of that house, and have nothing to do with her. So I studied real hard, got a chance to go abroad to study.

Then, I got married. I bought a house of my own. I had kids of my own. I was happy with my life, my kids and the comforts. Then one day, my Mother came to visit me. She hadn’t seen me in years and she didn’t even meet her grandchildren.

When she stood by the door, my children laughed at her, and I yelled at her for coming over uninvited. I screamed at her, ‘How dare you come to my house and scare my children!’ GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!!!’

And to this, my mother quietly answered, ‘Oh, I’m so sorry. I may have gotten the wrong address,’ and she disappeared out of sight.

One day, a letter regarding a school reunion came to my house. So I lied to my wife that I was going on a business trip. After the reunion, I went to the old shack just out of curiosity.

My neighbors said that she died. I did not shed a single tear. They handed me a letter that she had wanted me to have.

‘My dearest son,

I think of you all the time. I’m sorry that I came to your house and scared your children.

I was so glad when I heard you were coming for the reunion. But I may not be able to even get out of bed to see you. I’m sorry that I was a constant embarrassment to you when you were growing up.

You see……..when you were very little, you got into an accident, and lost your eye. As a mother, I couldn’t stand watching you having to grow up with one eye. So I gave you mine.

I was so proud of my son who was seeing a whole new world for me, in my place, with that eye.

With all my love to you,

Your mother.’

If I had my life to live over

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the “good” living room and 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 and 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 and not worried about grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching TV – and 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 and 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 yous”…more “I’m sorrys”…

But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute…look at it and really see it…live it…and never give it back.

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