I had a very special teacher in high school many years ago whose husband
unexpectedly died suddenly of a heart attack. About a week after his
death, she shared some of her insight with a 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 there.

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
that is unrelated to class, but which I feel is very important. Each of
us is put here on earth to learn, share, love, appreciate and give of
ourselves...and none of us knows when this fantastic experience will end.
It can be taken away at any moment. Perhaps this is God's way of
telling 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 one autumn leaf as it falls gently to the ground. 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."

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