What are you waiting for?

We have all heard the saying, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.", but when is it time to stop planning and time to start living?  I was watching one of my neighbors load a cherry-wine leather sofa into a truck and was thinking of how beautiful it was.  Before I could compliment him on the sofa, he said "This couch cost us $****.** and we have never sit on it." I asked him, "Why not?" He said, "My wife won't let us." : ) That made me smile and reminded of the "off limits" room that was at my parents' house when I was growing up.  I remember trying to sneak in there and sit down or touch something without my mom finding out.  (After all, my dad didn't care if we went in there or not. This "special" disease only seems to afflict women. wink,wink) The way I would sneak around, you would have thought there were silent alarms or motion and heat sensors in there.  It was like my own covert operation on "Mission Impossible".  You may laugh, but you know what I am talking about.  You know someone that has a room that is off limits, or did, or that person is YOU! : )  I too, was that way for a while, just on a smaller scale ....special plates...special cups...special silverware neatly packed in a special place planning for that elusive special day sometime in the future.  Then, one day I was visiting my sister and she was eating off of a piece of china.  I was appalled! How dare she?!? What was she thinking?!?  "Aren't those your special dishes?" I asked and she responded, "Yes".  I then asked, "Why are you using them?" She said in a natural, simple, matter of fact tone, "Because I'm special, why wouldn't I use them?."  Just then, the light bulb in my head turned on and the angels started to sing. Okay, I admit that was a little dramatic. There wasn't any singing, but you get my point and I did think, "Wow,  how profound and yet so simple." You may have thought that my original thoughts in response to her using the china was ridiculous, but if you have a special room or special napkins or anything that is off limits for daily use, aren't you being ridiculous too?  There is nothing wrong with having nice things, but if they are tucked away in a vault, are you really enjoying them?  If you are living your life waiting for a special occasion, are you present in your life today?  Are you miserable and exhausted today, while planning for a spectacular relaxing vacation in the future?  Am I saying that you should wander through life without directions or plans for your future? No......,but don't spend so much time planning your life, that you forget to live.  So take the plastic off the couch, dust off the china....and start living.  : ) What are you waiting for?