I got this from another newsletter I get about the soap opera I watch (Days of Our Lives). Anyway, I thought this especially thought provoking. I hope you all do too. I don't do the daily thought, I'm just sending this out because I liked it. Maybe it can get our minds on something more constructive. Love, Kim (KimbrlyDwn) << Imagine there is a bank which credits your account each morning with $86,400, carries over no balance from day to day, allows you to keep no cash balance, and every evening cancels whatever part of the amount you had failed to use during the day. What would you do? Draw out every cent, of course! Well, everyone has such a bank. Its name is TIME. Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the records of the day. If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours. There is no going back. There is no drawing against the "tomorrow". You must live in the present on today's deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness and success! The clock is running. Make the most of today.. To realize the value of ONE YEAR Ask a student who has failed his exam. To realize the value of ONE MONTH Ask a mother who has given birth to a pre-mature baby. To realize the value of ONE WEEK Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper. To realize the value of ONE DAY Ask a daily wage laborer who has ten kids to feed. To realize the value of ONE HOUR Ask the lovers who are waiting to meet To realize the value of ONE MINUTE Ask a person who has missed the train. To realize the value of ONE SECOND Ask the person who has won a silver medal in Olympics. Treasure every moment that you have! And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special.. special enough to have your time... and remember time waits for no one. >> --------------------- Forwarded message: Subj: Thoughts Date: 97-08-15 13:08:11 EDT From: Shadysha Katberto sent this to me............. Imagine there is a bank which credits your account each morning with $86,400, carries over no balance from day to day, allows you to keep no cash balance, and every evening cancels whatever part of the amount you had failed to use during the day. What would you do? Draw out every cent, of course! Well, everyone has such a bank. Its name is TIME. Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the records of the day. If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours. There is no going back. There is no drawing against the "tomorrow". You must live in the present on today's deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness and success! The clock is running. Make the most of today.. To realize the value of ONE YEAR Ask a student who has failed his exam. To realize the value of ONE MONTH Ask a mother who has given birth to a pre-mature baby. To realize the value of ONE WEEK Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper. To realize the value of ONE DAY Ask a daily wage laborer who has ten kids to feed. To realize the value of ONE HOUR Ask the lovers who are waiting to meet To realize the value of ONE MINUTE Ask a person who has missed the train. To realize the value of ONE SECOND Ask the person who has won a silver medal in Olympics. Treasure every moment that you have! And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special.. special enough to have your time... and remember time waits for no one. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Katberto sent this to me............... THE GIRL I USE TO BE She came tonight as I sat alone, The girl I used to be... And she gazed at me with her earnest eye And questioned reproachfully: Have you forgotten the many plans And hopes that I had for you? The great career, the splendid fame, all the wonderful things to do? Where is the mansion of stately height With all of its gardens rare? The silken robes that I dreamed for you And the jewels in your hair? And as she spoke, I was very sad For I wanted her pleased with me... This slender girl from the shadowy past The girl that I used to be. So gently rising, I took her hand, And guided her up the stair Where peacefully sleeping, my babies lay Innocent, sweet, and fair. And I told her that these are my only gems, And precious they are to me; That silken robe is my motherhood Of costly simplicity. And my mansion of stately height is love, And the only career I know Is serving each day in these sheltered walls For the dear ones who come and go. And as I spoke to my shadowy guest, She smiled through her tears at me. And I saw the woman that I am now Pleased the girl that I used to be. Author Unknown ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER by Erma Bombeck I would have talked less and listened more. I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded. I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the firepace. I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth. I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed. I would have burned the pink candle sculped like a rose before it melted in storage. I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains. I would have cried and laughed less while watching television - and more while watching life. I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband. I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day. I would never and bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime. Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle. When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner." There would have been more "I love yous".. more "I'm sorrys".. but mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute.. look at it and really see it.. live it.. and never give it back. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hope you enjoyed!!!!! Shadysha (Janet)