Are you living as if you will be on this planet another 200 years? Many of us live today as if we had an unlimited future here. At my quilters group, someone brought in all the unfinished projects of a woman who had passed away. Lots of beautiful scraps lay on the table, and I began to pick up greedily a pile of beautiful fabrics and lone quilt squares. An 80-year-old woman in our group, a woman of charming wisdom, said, "I would have to live another 200 years to finish the projects I already have in my sewing room at home! I certainly can't take on any more of these projects."
She caused me to pause. I, too, have a sewing cupboard full of ideas, patterns, fabrics, and inspirations. With all I already have, I would need to live perhaps another 100 years to complete most of them. And so I edited the pile of scraps in my hand to a select few, but the words of my wise quilter friend repeated themselves in my mind all week long.
What if each of us lived as if we only had another 200 days on the earth? What changes would you make to what you will do today? What if you were only to live another 20 days? What would you have wanted to do today? What if 20 hours from now you get hit by a bus? What would you have wanted to do in the next 20 hours?
I think about my daughter going through my sewing stash, tossing scraps with a shake of her head. "What in the world was mother thinking when she saved this?" I can see her opening a drawer and saying, "What did mother have in mind when she held on to these?" If I were present, I would tell her that those labels are going to make a fabulous postage stamp quilt some day. But will some day ever arrive?
I suspect that busy people like me overestimate what they can accomplish, making lists where half the items carry over, undone, onto tomorrow's list.
What do you have stuffed into a drawer, collecting dust in a corner, or waiting in a closet for your attention? Think about my wise quilter friend, and do something important today!
What do you feel is important? A kind word to a stranger that pays itself forward in other kindnesses will transform the world over time. A smile instead of a self centered, stressed out comment can brighten someone's entire day.
None of us will be here 200 years from now. So make today a day of looking for the beauty, seeking out the sweetness hidden somewhere within the next 200 seconds.
