NOTICE THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS
-author unknown
I had a very special teacher
in high school many years ago
whose husband unexpectedly died suddenly
of a heart attack.
About a week after his death,
she shared some of her insight
with a classroom of students.
As the late afternoon sunlight
came streaming in
through the classroom windows
and the class was nearly over,
she moved a few things aside
on the edge of her desk
and sat down there.
With a gentle look of reflection on her face,
she paused and said,
"Before class is over,
I would like to share with all of you
a thought that
is unrelated to class,
but which I feel is very important.
Each of us is put
here on earth to learn,
share, love, appreciate
and give of ourselves...
and none of us knows
when this fantastic experience will end.
It can be taken away at any moment.
Perhaps this is God's way of telling us
that we must make the most
out of every single day."
Her eyes beginning to water,
she went on,
"So I would like you all
to make me a promise...
from now on, on your way to school,
or on your way home,
find something beautiful to notice.
It doesn't have to be something you see -
it could be a scent -
perhaps of freshly baked bread
wafting out of someone's house,
or it could be the sound of the breeze
slightly rustling the leaves in the trees,
or the way the morning light
catches one autumn leaf
as it falls gently to the ground.
Please, look for these things,
and cherish them.
For, although it may sound trite to some,
these things are the "stuff" of life.
The little things we are put
here on earth to enjoy.
The things we often take for granted.
We must make it important
to notice them,
for at any time...
it can all be taken away."
The class was completely quiet.
We all picked up our books
and filed out of the room silently.
That afternoon, I noticed more things
on my way home from school
than I had that whole semester.
Every once in a while,
I think of that teacher
and remember what an impression
she made on all of us,
and I try to appreciate
all of those things
that sometimes we all overlook.
Take notice of something special you see
on your lunch hour today.
Go barefoot.
Or walk on the beach at sunset.
Stop off on the way home tonight
to get a double-dip ice cream cone.
For as we get older,
it is not the things we did
that we often regret,
but the things we didn't do.