Today, a beautiful woman told me the secret to life…she said “Live each day like there is no tomorrow…Live in the moment, it’s all you have.”
Words of Wisdom and Clarity
This secret to life was told to me by an elderly woman, a kind person who is sharing a room with the grandmother of my four daughters. I had never met her before and yet, I feel like I know her well.
She spoke with the clarity and wisdom that only life and experience can bring. This lovely lady sat there, in that wheelchair, her pure white hair perfectly combed and set, wearing a bright red wool sweater.
She told me about her life and how blessed she was to have had 50 years with the love of her life. She explained to me, with tears in her eyes, how he was taken from her suddenly.
They had company over for lunch and as they were sitting there, sharing stories with their friends, and doing the meal preparations, as they sat there, laughing and smiling…he suddenly suffered a massive heart attack and died, right in front of her eyes.
As I sat there, listening to her story, the tears came to my eyes. I felt the great love that she had for that man. I felt the deep sadness that she carried with her over the loss of that love. She said that time passes by too quickly and that we never know when we are going to leave this existence.
This beautiful soul spoke to me of her deep and abiding love for the partner that she lost. She told me of the gratitude that she had for the child that they had raised together….of the love she had for the sweet grandchildren that were the continuation of that blessing.
The Magic in the Moments
She is 93 and a half years old and she asked me this question “Why am I still here?” and this is the answer that I give to you. She is here to pass that message on to all of us. She is a reminder to all of us that life is short…don’t sweat the small stuff…it’s all small stuff…
The angel in that room said “Live your life to the fullest” and you know what? We all need to hear that…to be reminded of what is important in life. We have celebrations marked out on our calendars, days like Valentine’s Day. She reminded me that every day, we need to celebrate our loved ones and share our gratitude for them, always.
Be thankful, live your life to the fullest, be mindful in the moments that we have…”Life passes by quickly”, my sweet friend said…looking back from the vantage point of 93 and a half, she knows…
So let us all make best of it and go forward. Be grateful for each day and see the magic in the moments. I know that I am going to do my very best to make it so.
“Drive your own life…you deserve to, don’t you?” Sherie Venner
Image Credit: Danilo Rizzuti
Sherie
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This is so important to remember Sherie! Thank you for such a beautiful post and reminder! 🙂
Thank you, Solvita!! : D I so appreciate you reading it and commenting.
Beautiful post Sherie – i echo the comments above. It’s a lovely reminder to appreciate and focus on what we have now – not sweating the small stuff but enjoying every moment that we have. 🙂
Thank you, Tina, I appreciate your comment! It is a simple thing and even if it is not necessarily an easy thing to do , it is essential. : D
This is a beautiful post Sherie. Thanks so much for sharing!
Thank you, Vicky, I appreciate you reading it!
For sure don’t sweat the small stuff will help us move along and not have to deal with the stresses of life that are sometimes small stuff we can get consumed with. Thanks for sharing.
Absolutely, Carol! Thank you for your comment!
“She spoke with the clarity and wisdom that only life and experience can bring.”
There is NO replacement for that kind of wisdom. No amount of leadership training can replace the value of decades of knowing people.
Absolutely, Matthew, you are spot on! Thanks for your very insightful comment!
What powerful wisdom and how blessed you were to hear it from one who has lived so long. There is much to be learned from the elders of past generations…if only we would listen more. Thanks for sharing this!:)
Denny, yes, I consider myself to be very blessed to have had the opportunity. I was in the right place at the right time. Thank you for your comment!
Beautifully worded reminder of how we need to make the most of every moment, Sherie. Love that you had such a connection with her and listened to her wisdom.
Thank you, Tamara…it was an amazing connection and I am grateful for it. : D
Thank-you for this reminder “Live each day like there is no tomorrow…Live in the moment, it’s all you have.” When you have experienced a loss that is sudden you learn to live in the moment. However, life sneaks in and you forget this important lesson–thanks for this reminder
You’re welcome, Linda, it is a reminder all of us need, every once in awhile. Thanks so much for your comment!
I worked years with Elderly. They are wise. The saddest thing of all is most do not listen to those with experience and endlessly suffer as a result and that has included me.
The wise said enjoy your kids while they are young, and I did but not like I wanted to. I needed to make ends meet. Now I understand. Life will wait for us if we need it to.
They are very wise, aren’t they? All of that life experience and I am so glad that she shared a part of it with me. We get so busy and sometimes we forget to listen to those who have traveled before us…Suzanne, we are always doing the best that we can with the resources that we have at the time…so you did better than you think you did, really. Hugs.
Live your life to the fullest. Savor each day. Live with purpose. Slow down, smell the roses. Live a life of quality over quantity. That’s my motto. At my age, I am over the over-abundance of things. (-_-) I want to live the rest of my days being & doing what has meaning. All our days are counted…
The LEARNED Preneur @ NormaDoiron.NET ˚ .ღ 。
Norma, that is a spectacular motto to have! Thank you for sharing it with us… you have your priorities in good order! : D
Now into my seventh decade (I’m 63), Sherie, I realize how differently I look at each day. Decade by decade, the meaning of “time” has evolved. It’s not a panic, or a feeling of scarcity or rush. Instead, each day has taken on a more “like none other” meaning. And, because it is like none other, it deserves more focused intention. Now, if you do that with each day, can you imagine how rich life feels?
Sharon, thank you so much for sharing our wisdom and point of view. Love it!! “Now, if you do that with each day, can you imagine how rich life feels?”…beautifully said, my friend! : D
Sherie, this is a wonderful post and reminds me so much of my grandmother who had wonderful stories of the past. We need to capture all those moments our elders share if possible on record. Life passes quickly and the years become shorter as I become older. Enjoy everything you can today because tomorrow it will be as dead as yesterday.
Absolutely, Claude, the wisdom of our elders need to be captured and shared. Thank you for very much for your comment, I appreciate you!
Agree with every word!
Thank you, Leah! : D
We defiinitely need to lead our life to the fullest. I think sometimes we do, but we live in fear, and we sometimes forget we don’t know how much time we have. When I pass I want to know I had no regrets, and I was able to do many of things I wanted to do. I agree that time flies quickly, and we have to make the best of it.
Beautifully said, Tony! We do need to live our life to the fullest and find the reasons that might be holding us back….awesome comment, thank you!!
“Live each day like there is no tomorrow…Live in the moment, it’s all you have.”
There is a LOT of common sense in her words!
It reminds me of Mother Teresa’s words: “Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”
There is no harm in living in the moment. It really is all that exists and all that could matter.
I’d add on, “Look for the good in all that has been done and all that is to come.”
Wonderfully said, Rob! Love that quote from Mother Teresa… Thanks for your comment, I appreciate it!