A friend of mine opened his wife's underwear drawer and picked up a silk paper wrapped package:
"This, - he said - isn't any ordinary package." He unwrapped the box and stared at both the silk paper and the box.
"She got this the first time we went to New York, 8 or 9 years ago. She has never put it on. Was saving it for a special occasion.
Well, I guess this is it. He got near the bed and placed the gift box next to the other clothings he was taking to the funeral house, his wife had just died. He turned to me and said:
"Never save something for a special occasion. Every day in your life is a special occasion".
I still think those words changed my life. Now I read more and clean less. I sit on the porch without worrying about anything. I spend more time with my family, and less at work. I understood that life should be a source of experience to be lived up to, not survived through. I no longer keep anything. I use crystal glasses every day. I'll wear new clothes to go to the supermarket, if i feel like it. I don't save my special perfume for special occasions, I use it whenever I want to. The words "Someday..." and "One Day..." are fading away from my dictionary. If it's worth seeing, listening or doing, I want to see, listen or do it now.
I don't know what my friend's wife would have done if she knew she wouldn't be there the next morning, this nobody can tell. I think she might have called her relatives and closest friends.
She might call old friends to make peace over past quarrels. I'd like to think she would go out for Chinese, her favourite food. It's these small things that I would regret not doing, if I knew my time had come. I would regret it, because I would no longer see the friends I would meet, letters... letters that i wanted to write "One of this days". I would regret and feel sad, because I didn't say to my brothers and sons, not times enough at least, how much I love them.
Now, I try not to delay, postpone or keep anything that could bring laughter and joy into our lives. And, on each morning, I say to myself that this could be a special day. Each day, each hour, each minute, is special.
译文:
时不我待，珍惜生活
一次，我的一位朋友打开他妻子的内衣柜，拿起一只用绢纸包裹的纸包，对我说：
“这只纸包可非同寻常。”他边说边打开里面的盒子，并仔细端详着绢纸和盒子，若有所思：
“这是八、九年前我们第一次去纽约时我送给她的礼物。但她从来没有穿过，只想等到什么特殊日子再穿。”
“我想，现在可以将它派上用场了。”他走近床边，将礼品盒与一些衣物放在一起。那些衣物是要送往殡仪馆的，他的妻子刚刚离开人世。他转过身来劝我说：
“千万不要把东西留到什么特殊日子再用。其实生命中的每一天都是特殊日子”。
直到现在，我仍认为他的这席话改变了我的生活。现在，我读书更加勤奋，用更少的时间打扫房间；有时坐在阳台上独享无忧无虑的时光；也会更长久地陪伴家人，而缩短了工作时间。我现已明白，生活是人的阅历之源，而非苟延残喘之倚。因而，我不再保留任何东西等待日后使用。我会每天佩戴自己心爱的水晶眼镜，也会随心所欲穿着新衣去逛超市。我不会将某种香水留到什么特别的场合，只要高兴，随时拿来使用。“将来某一天”、“总有一天”之类的字眼已从我的词典中彻底消失。对那些值得去看，去听或去做的事情，我都会立刻付诸行动，毫不耽搁。
如果我的朋友之妻知道自己次日清晨将不在人世，她会怎样做？没人能够告诉我这个答案。但我认为她会给自己的亲朋好友打电话。
她会给自己的旧日好友打电话，和他们言归于好。以我之见，她还会外出品尝自己钟爱的中国菜。当我深知自己已时日不多时，让我后悔未做的正是这些看似不起眼的事情。我将深感遗憾，因为日后将见不到我的那些朋友，也不再有机会“在逝去日子里的某一天”给他们写信。我将深感遗憾和悲伤，因为自己没有花时间——至少没有花足够的时间——向我的兄弟姐妹、我的儿子去表白，我是多么地爱他们。
我正在分秒必争，唯恐错过（或者说是在确保自己不断去做）任何能够给我们的生活带来欢笑与乐趣的事情。我每天清晨都会对自己说，那天是个特别的日子。每一天、每一小时或每一分钟对我们来说都是具有特殊意义的。