My Frugal Life: Use Every Bit

Corrie Ten Boom, author of The Hiding Place, related a miracle that happened while she was imprisoned in one of Hitler's concentration camps:

"My instinct was always to hoard that little Davitamon bottle. Betsie (my sister) was growing so very weak, but others were ill as well. It was hard to say no to eyes that burned and hands that shook with chill. I tried to save it for the very weakest; but even these numbered fifteen, twenty, twenty-five. . . And still, every time I tilted the little bottle, a drop appeared at the top of the glass stopper. It scarcely seemed possible.

Most of us have experienced "miracles" like Corrie's. Remember the satisfaction you felt at being able to extract that last bit of toothpaste or shampoo or cold cream? Remember how long it took? Each day you thought there couldn't possibly be anything left in that tube, bottle, or jar, but there always was.

To achieve such "admiring awe," you probably put a little ingenuity, patience, or perseverance into it. Take the lotion bottle, for example. You might have tried upending it, or adding a little water, then shaking it, or zapping it in the microwave to remove those final elusive drops. Or you swung the bottle around in a circle(cap facing outward) to let centrifugal force do its work. Or maybe you cut the bottle in half with scissors or a hack saw, and used a spatula to remove the lotion. Whatever you did, you were sure to get your money's worth.

But shouldn't we be just as frugal with the precious moments we have left of our lives? Isn't every instant of infinite value? Shouldn't we be living--fully-- every single second of every single day?" I think so.

That's why I surround myself with happiness--my cats, my books, my plants, my vegetable garden, my family and friends. But I also set exciting, accomplishable goals, and I work, scrimp, and save to make them happen. My current, half completed mission is to take each of my five grandchildren on a fabulous trip of choice; to the Galapagos, South Africa, and Australia, for example. And finally, I try to maximize my mind (by writing), my body (by eating right and exercising daily), and my soul (by being kind and good).

I'm living my life--now--as if every moment I have left is a miracle.

By Viaux from Miami, FL

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