SEIZE THE MOMENT

I have a friend who lives by a three-word philosophy: Seize the moment. Justpossibly, she may be the wisest woman on this planet.

Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because theyhaven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it wascoming or are too rigid to depart from their routine.

I got to thinking one day about all those women on the Titanic who passed updessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back. From then on,I've tried to be a little more flexible.

How many women out there will eat at home because their husband didn'tsuggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed? Does theword "refrigeration" mean nothing to you?

How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while youwatched Jeopardy on television?

I cannot count the times I called my sister and said, "How about going tolunch in a half hour?"

She would gasp and stammer, "I can't."

Check one:
"I have clothes on the line."
"My hair is dirty."
"I wish I had known yesterday."
"I had a late breakfast".
"It looks like rain".
And my personal favorite: "It's Monday".

She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together.

Because Americans cram so much into their lives, we tend to scheduleour headaches. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselveswhen all the conditions are perfect. We'll go back and visit the grandparentswhen we get Stevie toilet-trained. We'll entertain when we replace theliving-room carpet. We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kidsout of college.

Life has a way of accelerating, as we get older. The days get shorter, andthe list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, andall we have to show for our lives is a litany of "I'm going to," "I plan on"and "Someday, when things are settled down a bit."

When anyone calls my 'seize the moment' friend, she is open to adventure andavailable for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasmfor life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you're ready to tradeyour bad feet for a pair of Roller blades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord.

My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It's justthat I might as well apply it directly to my hips with a spatula andeliminate the digestive process.

The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.

Now...go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to .... Not something on your SHOULD DO list.