Special Occasions

There once was a lady who saved everything for a special occasion. Any gift she received or item she purchased was carefully tucked away in the back of her closet. She had a beautiful china cabinet full of pretty dishes, which never left their shelf. She didn't want them to get broken or worn from day-to-day use, and no ordinary dinner at home seemed fancy or special enough to merit their presence at the dining table. She had a vanity table lined with lotions and perfumes in pretty bottles. None of these were open. This lady didn't want to waste her expensive fragrances, so she saved them for a nice event. her closet was lined with blouses and dresses all still bearing price tags. She didn't ever dress up because she didn't see the value in looking her best if she wasn't going anywhere she considered to be of memorable importance.
Well, eventually the lady grew old and passed away. As her children were cleaning out her house, they marveled at how many of their mothers possessions had never even been used. She spent her whole life waiting for that, "special occasion."
I have always loved to save things. I loved picking out a new outfit and saving it for the first day of school, saving half of a candy bar to enjoy at a later time, or saving a good book for a long car ride. But, if you go through life waiting and saving for special occasions, you might forget to relish the present time. Looking back on my own life, I have found that some of the most special occasions I ever enjoyed were in the everyday moments. Eating dinner with my family, running errands with my mom, enjoying a walk outside, or any number of ordinary activities have been sealed into my memory as treasured times. How wonderful an opportunity to create within each day a special occasion.