IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER...by Erma Bombeck

	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 have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.
	I would have talked less and listened more.
	I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained or 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 fireplace.
	I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.
	I would have shared more responsibility carried by my husband.
	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 sat on the lawn with my grass stains.
	I would have cried and laughed less while watching TV and more while watching life.
	I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, would'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 "Ilove you's". More "I'm Sorry's".
	But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute...look at it and really see lit...live it. and never give it back.
	Stop sweating the small stuff.
	Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who has more,or who's doing what. Instead, let's cherish the relationships we have with those who do love us.

Mayonnaise and Coffee

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar... and the cofffee...

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured then into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full.
They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The sutdents responded with a unanimous "yes".
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents in the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided," I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things - your God, your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions - things that if everything else was lost and only they remained your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car.
The sand is everything else - the small stuff.
"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean and fix the disposal."
Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.
One student raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always roomfor a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."