Life Is The Special Occassion

Recently, I was talking to an acquaintance and I complimented her on the fragrance she was wearing.  She said thanks and went on to explain that she would normally save it for special occasions but she was out of her day to day scent.

I left the conversation with her thinking about all of the things that women save for special occasions.  They buy nice candles and never burn them.  They buy fancy lotions and bubble bath and it sits as decoration in the bathroom.  They buy the "good" perfume, most likely their favorite scent and rarely wear it.  They buy a rockin' dress and hot heels and the outfit sits in their closet for the special occasion. They accrue PTO at work and never use it.  They buy fine china and crystal and  never set the table with it.

When I called the ambulance and I was on my way to the hospital not only was I making work calls from the ambulance (because as luck would have it I was on call for my software company), but I was also figuring out how much PTO I would give back if I died.  Really, I was.  There is no accounting for what goes through your head when you are in an ambulance!  I vowed to myself I would start using it if I lived. 

As I have walked this journey I have come to the realization that there is no sense in waiting.  I have burned every candle in my house.  Once I burned them, I went and bought more of the good candles and burned them again. My kids bought me the perfume I love for my birthday and I wear it.  I don't have an everyday scent that is different from my "good" perfume.  I used to, but really, what was I waiting for to wear the good stuff?  Had I not survived my heart attack, all of the things I was saving would have gone unused.

I put this into practice when I bought my last car. As a usually practical person, I looked at SUV's and sedans.  All were perfectly fine except they weren't the car I wanted.  I wanted the car that had no practicality whatsoever.  As I found myself saying that I would wait until the last two kids were out of the house before I bought the car I really wanted, I stopped myself.  What was I doing?  Why was I saving the purchase for later, what if I died before then? I drive the totally impractical car and I love it!

I hear women say it all the time.  I'll save that for a special occasion, I'll use that when.....  When what?  When you can't enjoy it anymore? I'll do that when....When what?  When you are thinner?  When you are richer?  When what?   Think about when what and stop waiting for the special occasion to do or use the things.

I urge you to burn the candles while you use the fancy bubble bath.  You should wear the "good" perfume and wear the rockin' dress and hot heels. You should use your PTO if only for a staycation. By all means eat pizza on the good china and drink beer from the good crystal for the only special event you need is life.