Just once I would like to see a celebration of life instead of a gathering of death. A celebration where stories are told， eyes mist over， laughter rings out， and as the speaker concludes his or her loving tribute， the person they are honoring rises from their chair and gives them the biggest bear hug！ Wouldn"t that be something！ The special people get to hear the stories and come to the realization that they have made a difference on this earth， and all this is done well before they leave their earthly bodies and go into eternity. When the inevitable funerals finally come， we can say good-bye with the knowledge that they knew exactly how people felt about them while they were here on earth.
I now have a stronger resolve to tell those around me how much they mean to me. I am going to let my wife know just how loved and appreciated she is， not only by my words， but also by my actions， I am going to play Batman with my four-year-old more often， and in the middle of our romping，I am going to grab him， hug him tightly， and tell him how thankful I am that he is my son. I am going to sneak into my sleeping toddler"s bedroom， place my lips on his chubby cheek， and thank God for the bundle of joy he has brought into my life. Each day I will make a point to tell both of my boys how much I love them， whether they are four or eighteen！ From there， I am going to let family and friends know the tremendous impact they have had on my life. Finally， I am going to let the high school players I coach know that I look forward to each and every minute that I get to spend with them in the gym.
Do you love someone？ Then tell them！ Has someone been an influence in your life？ Then give them a call！ Has someone made a difference in your life？ Then write them a letter or send them an e-mail！ Don"t let another day go by without letting that person know. There is something special about a written letter that expresses feelings of love towards another. I don"t know about you， but I have letters and cards from people that I have saved for years， and from time to time， I get them out and re-read them.
They can turn a depressing day into one where I realize just how blessed and lucky I am.
Life is too short to leave kind words unsaid. The words you say， or the letter you write， might just make all the difference in the world.
昨天，在我训练完篮球回家的路上，收听我最喜欢的一个谈话电台WGN的时候，听到播音员庄重而严肃的语调，我感觉到一定有什么事情发生了。就在芝加哥北部郊区的上空，发生了一起飞机相撞事件，两架小型飞机相撞了。
这个消息之所以会让人觉得震惊是因为其中一个飞行员死了，而他就是WGN的晨间播音员，鲍勃.克林斯。我相信当时在中西部的很多听众都将车里的收音机调到那一台收听"博比叔叔"。过了一会儿，也就是我开车去我的三份工作的途中，大概四十分钟的路程，我一直听着电台对那个受众多人爱戴的播音员的追忆和赞美。
他们讲述着关于他的一个又一个故事，故事当中把他描述最伟大的朋友，并且是一个将生命发挥得淋漓尽致的人。来自全国各地的所表达的对他的崇敬纷至沓来。而听到越多关于他对周围人的影响，我就觉得越泄气。
你会问：为什么？
我会觉得泄气，是因为我很疑惑，为什么我们要等到人去世了，才想要告诉他，我们有多爱他？我们为什么要等到一个人听不见的时候，才想要告诉他，他对我们有多重要？我们为什么要等到一切都无法挽回时，才意识到一个人的崇高人格？我们为什么要等到一个人与世长辞之后才去赞美他？这样做又有什么意义呢？每当我们哭着，笑着，或是回想着在一个人的生命里什么东西才是积极的时候，我们也在分享着关于这个人的一点一滴的记忆。是的，它可以帮助我们摆脱失去一个生命中重要的人的悲伤；是的，它也可以将想念他的人的心拉得更近。但不幸的是，当我们深切地去怀念这个人的时候，我们所说的话，已经传不到最需要听这些话的人的耳里了。
我所乐于见到的是一次生命的庆典而不是一次死亡的聚会。在一个庆典中，人们泪眼朦胧地谈论着，偶尔爆发出阵阵笑声，当发言者表达出他的赞美之意后，他们所崇拜的那个人站起来与他们热烈相拥。那样不是更有意义吗？那些人听到关于他们自己的故事才意识到在这个世界上他们做了与众不同的举动，而所有这些都是在他们离开人世之前所做的。即使死亡是在所难免的，我们也可以毫无遗憾地向他告别，因为我们知道他已了解他在世时世人对他的评价。
此刻，我非常强烈地想要告诉我周围的人他们对我有多重要。我想要让我妻子知道我有多喜欢她，多爱她，不止在语言上，还要在行动上。我要余出更多的时间陪我四岁的儿子玩Batman，在玩耍中，我要拉住他，紧紧抱住他，告诉他我是多么感激他是我的儿子。我要悄悄溜进我那熟睡的刚学会走路的儿子的房间里，亲吻他胖乎乎的脸，感谢上帝他给我生命带来的欢笑。每天我都要告诉我两个儿子我有多爱他们，不论他们是四岁还是十八岁。我要告诉家人，朋友，他们对我人生的巨大影响。最后，我还要告诉我所训练的高中的队员们，我期待和他们在体育馆度过的每一分钟。
你爱某个人吗？那么就告诉他。有人影响过你吗？打个电话吧。有人曾经改变过你吗？那么给他写封信或发个e-mail吧！别再错失让那个人知道的机会了。向别人表达爱意所写的信有很多特殊的地方。我不知道你怎么样，反正我这么多年来积攒了很多别人给我的信或卡片，偶而还会拿出来再回味一下。
这些信有时可以把令人沮丧的一天变成愉快而幸运的一天。
生命如此的短暂，短暂到有很多友善的话没有说出口，你所说的话或写的信也许就可以改变了整个世界
Weakness or Strength
没有左手的人
Sometimes your biggest weakness can become your biggest strength. Take， for example， the story of one girl who decided to study judo despite the fact that she had lost her left arm in a car accident.
The girl began lessons with an old Japanese judo instructor. The girl was doing well. So she couldn"t understand why， after three months of training， the instructor had taught her only one move.
"Instructor，" the girl finally said， "Shouldn"t I be learning more moves？"
"This is the only move you know， but this is the only move you"ll ever need to know，" the instructor replied.
Not quite understanding， but believing in her teacher， the girl kept training.
Several months later， the instructor took the girl to her first tournament. Surprising herself， the girl easily won her first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult， but after some time， her opponent became impatient and charged. The girl deftly used her one move to win the match. Still amazed by her success， the girl was now in the finals.
This time， her opponent was bigger， stronger and more experienced. For a while， the girl appeared to be overmatched. Concerned that the girl might get hurt， the referee called a time-out. She was about to stop the match when the instructor intervened.
"No，" the instructor insisted， "Let her continue."
Soon after the match resumed， her opponent made a critical mistake： she dropped her guard. Instantly， the girl used her move to pin her opponent. The girl had won the match and the tournament. She was the champion.
On the way home， the girl and her teacher reviewed every move in each and every match. Then the girl summoned the courage to ask what was really on her mind.
"Instructor， how did I win the tournament with only one move？"
"You won for two reasons，" the teacher answered. "First， you"ve almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. Second， the only known defense for that move is for your opponent to grab your left arm."
The girl"s biggest weakness had become her biggest strength.
有的时候，你的软弱之处反而拥有强大的力量。比如我们下面要讲的这个故事：一位在车祸中丧失了左臂的小女孩，决定去学习柔道。
小女孩向一位年长的日本老师学习柔道。小女孩学习进展不错，而三个月过去了，老师却只是重复地教授她一个动作，这使得她很迷惑不解。
“老师，”女孩终于忍不住问，“能不能再多教我一些动作？”
老师回答说：“你只要把这个动作学好就可以了。”
尽管女孩并不明白老师的用意，不过她相信老师的话，继续努力练习
几个月过去了，老师决定带她去参加一次竞赛。令女孩惊讶的是，她轻松地击败了头两个对手。第三个对手虽然比较强悍，但一番苦战后，对手就开始心浮气躁。女孩巧妙地的使用她唯一的一招赢得了比赛。女孩自己虽感到不可思议，但她却一步步进入决赛。
