"How much do we notice as we go through a day," was asked of Lisa Beamer on Good Morning America. If you remember, she's the wife of Todd Beamer who said "Let's Roll!' and helped take down the plane over Pennsylvania that was heading for Washington, DC back on 9/11.
She said it's the little things that she misses most about Todd, such as hearing the garage door open as he came home and her children running to meet him.
Lisa recalled this story: "I had a very special teacher in high school many years ago whose husband 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. With a gentle look of reflection on her face, she paused and said, '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. 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 continued, '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 of freshly baked bread wafting out of someone's house, or 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.’
When she finished talking, 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 are sometimes overlooked.
Today take notice of something special you see on your lunch hour. 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...its the things we didn't do that could have made all the difference in the world.
