Chapter Four 幸福的人生不贪婪（7）（2/2）
《世界上最富哲理的美文》作者：吴文智 2017-04-14 12:58
me in committee meetings. Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of experience to savor, not endure. I’m trying to recognize these moments now and cherish them.
I’m not “saving” anything; we use our good china and crystal for every special event—such as losing a pound, getting the sink unstopped, the first camellia blossom. I wear my good blazer to the market if I feel like it. My theory is if I look prosperous, I can shell out $28.49 for one small bag of groceries without wincing. I’m not saving my good perfume for special parties; clerks in hardware stores and tellers in banks have noses that function as well as my party-going friends’.
“Someday” and “one of these days” are losing their grip on my vocabulary. If it’s worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it now. I’m not sure what my sister would have done had she known that she wouldn’t be here for the tomorrow we all take for granted. I think she would have called f***ly members and a few close friends. She might have called a few former friends to apologize and mend fences for past squabbles. I like to think she would have gone out for a Chinese dinner, her favorite food. I’m guessing—I’ll never know.
It’s those little things left undone that would make me angry if I knew that my hours were limited. Angry because I put off seeing good friends whom I was going to get in touch with “someday”. Angry because I hadn’t written certain letters that I intended to write — one of these days. Angry and sorry that I didn’t tell my husband and daughter often enough how much I truly love them.
I’m trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that would add laughter and luster to our lives.
And every morning when I open my eyes, I tell myself that it is special. Every day, every minute, every breath truly is... a gift from God.
妹夫打开妹妹书桌最底下的抽屉，拿出一个裹着纸片的小包。“这个，”他说，“不是一张纸片，而是一件女士内衣。”他弄掉纸片，把它递给我。这是一件精致的女士内衣，是用手工缝制的丝制品，整齐地镶着蛛网似的花边。衣服上甚至还钉着数额惊人的价格标签。“这是我和简第一次去纽约时买的，至少是**年以前了，她从来没有穿过，一直在等一个特殊的场合。我想，现在该是时候了。”他从我的手上拿过内衣，把它和其他衣服一起摆到床上，我们要把它们带到殡仪馆。他的手在那柔软的面料上摩挲了一会儿，然后砰地关上抽屉，转过来对我说：“千万别珍藏什么东西去等待一个合适的机会，你活着的每一天都是一个机会。”
I’m not “saving” anything; we use our good china and crystal for every special event—such as losing a pound, getting the sink unstopped, the first camellia blossom. I wear my good blazer to the market if I feel like it. My theory is if I look prosperous, I can shell out $28.49 for one small bag of groceries without wincing. I’m not saving my good perfume for special parties; clerks in hardware stores and tellers in banks have noses that function as well as my party-going friends’.
“Someday” and “one of these days” are losing their grip on my vocabulary. If it’s worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it now. I’m not sure what my sister would have done had she known that she wouldn’t be here for the tomorrow we all take for granted. I think she would have called f***ly members and a few close friends. She might have called a few former friends to apologize and mend fences for past squabbles. I like to think she would have gone out for a Chinese dinner, her favorite food. I’m guessing—I’ll never know.
It’s those little things left undone that would make me angry if I knew that my hours were limited. Angry because I put off seeing good friends whom I was going to get in touch with “someday”. Angry because I hadn’t written certain letters that I intended to write — one of these days. Angry and sorry that I didn’t tell my husband and daughter often enough how much I truly love them.
I’m trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that would add laughter and luster to our lives.
And every morning when I open my eyes, I tell myself that it is special. Every day, every minute, every breath truly is... a gift from God.
妹夫打开妹妹书桌最底下的抽屉，拿出一个裹着纸片的小包。“这个，”他说，“不是一张纸片，而是一件女士内衣。”他弄掉纸片，把它递给我。这是一件精致的女士内衣，是用手工缝制的丝制品，整齐地镶着蛛网似的花边。衣服上甚至还钉着数额惊人的价格标签。“这是我和简第一次去纽约时买的，至少是**年以前了，她从来没有穿过，一直在等一个特殊的场合。我想，现在该是时候了。”他从我的手上拿过内衣，把它和其他衣服一起摆到床上，我们要把它们带到殡仪馆。他的手在那柔软的面料上摩挲了一会儿，然后砰地关上抽屉，转过来对我说：“千万别珍藏什么东西去等待一个合适的机会，你活着的每一天都是一个机会。”