A Powerful Lesson

I found something I wanted to share with you. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did. As usual, it reminds us not to take things for granted-even the small stuff.

Many years ago, I had a very special teacher in high school whose husband suddenly and unexpectedly died of a heart attack. About a week after his death, she shared some of her insight with our 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 on her desk. 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 unrelated to class, but which I feel is very important. Here is my thought.

"Each of us is put here on earth to learn, share, love, appreciate and give of ourselves. When this fantastic experience called life will end, no one knows. It can be taken away at any moment. Perhaps this is a way of teaching 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 the autumn leaf as it falls gently to the ground. Or, the sunrise...a sunset...a full moon...a flower...the falling rain...a baby crying...the hearty laugh of a baby.

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."

As her voice faded, 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...Taste its delicious sweetness...Wonder at the miracle of life...Smell the roses...Look into a child's hope-filled eyes; but don't stand, squat down.

For as we get older, it is not the things we did that we often regret, but the things we didn't do.

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

http://www.theallengroup.com/members/newsletter0101.html -Anon., from a story "The Teacher" (A Powerful Lesson)

http://www.quoteland.com/search.asp -Qouteland.com (I checked this URL and it came up with "no matches"-just type in "life is not measured by" in the search box and it will find the story.)

I combined the story from both websites into one post. Some things were omitted. I would love to find the original "The Teacher."