11/14/2025
Each breath is a blessing🙏🏻♥️
A Letter From María, 83 — A Gentle Reminder That Life Happens Now
my dear friend,
Today I celebrate my 83rd birthday, and there is something I wish someone had whispered to me decades ago — something that time had to teach me slowly.
When you're 60, you still have oceans of living ahead of you.
I didn't realize that back then.
These days, I spend more hours with a book in my hands than a broom.
I sit on the porch and let the breeze tell its stories while the apple trees dance.
And I no longer feel guilty about the weeds growing freely among the roses.
I still work a little... but please, don't give your whole life away to work.
Moments with the people you love are worth more than any paycheck.
Life is not a marathon you're supposed to finish breathless.
It's a gift —
and gifts are meant to be enjoyed, not stored away.
It's strange how sharply everything comes into focus when you realize you can't go back and change the past.
I don't save anything "for later" anymore.
The embroidered napkins, the good china, the crisp new sheets — I use them just for myself, for ordinary days that deserve to feel special.
When I leave the house, I wear whatever makes me feel lovely.
My perfume? I use it whenever I want.
Even a doctor's appointment is special enough now.
The little annoyances — the dirty cup in the sink, the impatient cashier, the dripping tap — they no longer matter.
I simply live.
There is no "later," no "once I have time," no "maybe next week."
If something is meaningful — I do it today.
Every morning I ask myself:
"What would I do differently if I knew tonight would be my last?"
That question changes the texture of the whole day.
If I were running out of time, I'd regret not telling my husband more often how deeply I admired him.
I'd regret the letters I never sent.
So now I call my children more.
I apologize quickly — even if it's something small.
And I tell my friends I love them without waiting for a perfect moment.
I've relearned how to marvel at small things like a child does.
To give genuine compliments.
To say "thank you" from a full heart.
Every day is a gift.
We are not promised tomorrow.
No one owes us anything.
Each breath is a blessing.
And so every morning, I remind myself:
"Today is a special day."
Because every hour, every moment, every breath... is a quiet miracle.
Life may not be the song we expected to dance to —
but as long as the music continues,
we can still move with it.
Be gentle with yourself.
Cherish every second.
And never forget:
The world becomes a little brighter simply because you are here.
With love,
Maria.
