LIVE IT UP!

One day, I had lunch with some friends, and Jim, a short, balding man in his late 90s, joined us. As we looked at the menu, everyone ordered salads, sandwiches, and soups—except Jim.

He said, “Ice cream, please. Two scoops, chocolate.”

I wasn’t sure I’d heard him correctly. The others were shocked.

“Along with heated apple pie,” Jim added, unashamed.

We tried to act nonchalant, as though this was normal. I couldn’t take my eyes off Jim when the orders arrived. His pie a la mode seemed to capture the essence of joy. We sat there quietly, smiling at his carefree indulgence.

The next time we went out to eat, I invited Jim again. I ordered a sensible meal, white meat tuna. Jim, however, ordered a parfait. I smiled, and he asked if I was amused. 

I answered, “Yes, you amuse me, but also you confuse me. Why do you order such rich desserts when I feel the need to be sensible?” 

He laughed and said, “I’m tasting all that life has to offer. I try to eat what I need and do what I should, but life’s so short, I don’t want to miss out on something good.”

Jim smiled, reflecting on the years he’d lived. “I haven’t been this old before,” he said. “And now, before I die, I want to experience everything I’ve been missing—smelling all the flowers, fishing in more streams, eating more fudge sundaes, and flying kites.”

He continued, “There are golf courses I haven’t played, jokes I haven’t laughed at, and sporting events I haven’t seen. I want to walk in the rain, feel the ocean spray on my face, sit in a country church and thank God for His grace.

I want peanut butter on my toast every morning, and long phone calls with the people I love. I haven’t cried at all the movies yet, or fallen in love again. Life is too short to miss these things.

So, if I choose to have dessert instead of dinner, and I die before night falls, I’ll say I’ve lived well. I filled my heart’s desire, and I had that final chocolate mousse before my life expired.”

With that, I turned to my friends and said, “I’ve changed my mind. Today, I’ll have what Jim is having, only with more whipped cream!”

Remember, happiness isn’t based on possessions, power, or prestige, but on relationships with people we like, respect, and enjoy spending time with. And always keep in mind that while money talks, ice cream sings!