A little fancy

One time, my Mama sent me an email all about living for today. I think it was when she was in the middle of chemotherapy. They were pumping gallons of poison into her body, patting her head, saying "There, there little lamb. This will kill all those bad cancer cells." And she would swell with the fluid. And say it felt like her bones were hollow. I'll never forget that. Anyway, I think it was in the middle of all that she sent me an email. Somewhere along the way I lost it. But I remember one part of it, and I think about it all the time.

There was a woman, and she had a very special, very expensive bottle of perfume. She never used it. It just sat in her bathroom. Something happened, maybe her husband died. And she realized how little it all matters, and how much it all matters at the same time. And the woman mused, "Why am I saving this perfume for a special occasion? Isn't every day a special occasion. I could wear this when the plumber comes over. Wouldn't he appreciate it the same as anyone?" And so, from that day on she would wear a little of the special perfume whenever the mood hit her.

Yesterday pushed the limits for me. Normally I'm a really happy, positive person. I'm usually able to maintain that through just about anything. But yesterday I stood on the edge of a cliff and I just looked down. And then I told the cliff to shut the hell up. Stop telling me to jump into that great canyon of negativity. And I walked away.

So I woke up today the old me. And boy was I happy to see me! We can survive anything but our own death. Listen more. Laugh whenever you can. Be nice to people, they may not be nice to you but they'll remember your kindness. Be honest.

And wear a little fancy everyday.