Life in the 21st Century is extremely fast-paced where individuals will often get caught up in their careers and will spend most of their lives chasing fortune. They do this in a trance-like state and before they know it, life will simply pass them by.
We have become almost mindless beings, chasing materialistic gains because we are excessively concerned with material possessions. Our priorities are no longer placed on what truly matters such as having deep, meaningful relationships with family and friends as well experiencing the wonders of life and all that it offers.
An anonymous 83-year-old woman wrote a letter to her friend Bertha and it has gone viral. Her letter is one of advice and ruminations about her own life.
Many people can relate to the handwritten letter because it proves all too true and concerns the individuals in today’s day and age
She starts off by addressing her friend Bertha and telling her what she has been up to that is she’s “reading more and dusting less.” She no longer fusses over the weeds that inevitably grow in the garden and instead she is just admiring nature in all it’s unkept glory.
The old woman says that she’s been spending as much time as she can with family and friends. She places importance on experiencing life instead of enduring it and even at her age she is still “trying to recognize these moments now and cherish them.”
She takes out and uses her fine kitchenware to celebrate small victories and not only for special occasions like most of us do. She dresses up even if there is no particular reason to and wears her favorite perfume just because she wants to. The woman goes on to say she does this because she realized that too many people have passed on without doing the things they wish they could have. She wants to live out the rest of her days as richly as she can, so that she will have no regrets whatsoever.
The entire letter written by the 83-year-old is as follows:
Dear Bertha,
I’m reading more and dusting less. I’m sitting in the yard and admiring the
view without fussing about the weeds in the garden. I’m spending more
time with my family and friends and less time working. Whenever possible,
life should be a pattern of experiences to savor, not to 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, or the
first Amaryllis blossom. I wear my good blazer to the market. My theory is if
I look prosperous, I can shell out $28.49 for one small bag of groceries.
I’m not saving my good perfume for special parties, but wearing it for
clerks in the hardware store and tellers at the bank. 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 others would’ve done had they known they wouldn’t be
here for the tomorrow that we all take for granted. I think they would have
called family members and a few close friends. They might have called a
few former friends to apologize and mend fences for past squabbles. I like
to think they would have gone out for a Chinese dinner or for whatever
their favorite food was. I’m guessing; I’ll never know.
It’s those little things left undone that would make me angry if I knew my
hours were limited. 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 parents 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,
tell myself that it is special. Every day, every minute, every breath truly is a
gift from God.
If you received this, it is because someone cares for you. If you’re too busy
to take the few minutes that it takes right now to forward this, would it be
the first time you didn’t do the little thing that would make a difference in
your relationships? I can tell you it certainly won’t be the last.
Take a few minutes to send this to a few people you care about, just
to let them know that you’re thinking of them. People say “True friends
must always hold hands, but true friends don’t need to hold hands because
they know the other hand will always be there.” I don’t believe in Miracles. I
rely on them.
Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as
well dance.
Though the woman only intended this letter to be read by her friend, we should be glad it has been shared to the public. We could all take her advice and start actually living life and not take our tomorrow’s for granted.
