My husband came home from work the other day,
wearing a beautiful sage green shirt, very soft & silky, and a nice change from his usual tan-white-navy-gray “business casual” attire.
I complimented him, and asked when he had time to shop for it,since he never likes to go shopping.
“Oh, I’ve had this for years, it’s my favorite shirt”.
If that was so, why had I never seen it before?
“I never wear my favorite shirts, I always save them. Stupid, I know, but I’m afraid I will ruin them”.
When he said that, I realized I wasn’t the only one who saves up the “good stuff”!
I thought about my closet, full of things that were barely ever worn,
and yet are possibly out of style already.
(OK, most are already out of style!)
I thought about the “fancy” dishes in the cabinet, dusty and ignored, the unworn jewelry, waiting for an “occasion”, the special guest towels, neatly folded and never used.
What was I waiting for? To get thinner? Younger? Richer?
How many other things did I have in my life that I was saving up
for some mysterious, extraordinary, magical day
when there will be no chance of ruining them?
And when will that day ever come…?
I immediately changed out of my yucky “around the house” tee shirt
into a pretty, trendy little blouse that seemed a bit too fancy for just hanging out and decided:
TODAY may be the special occasion I’ve been waiting for!
It was just another Friday night, both of us tired from a long work week and a little bit grumpy at the thought of all the weekend chores ahead of us…but somehow when we both had on our favorite shirts for no particular reason, we felt like going out for a drink to celebrate!
What are you, dear reader, waiting for?
What is stopping you from the pleasure of using what you already have
in your closet, your home, your heart, your life?
And what would happen if you gave yourself permission
to use these special things right now, TODAY?
PS: 100% of all sales through Amazon.com will be donated to food charities this month. Give a gift of More to Love and help a hungry family through the holiday season!
Such a good point!
I too use to save things but my daughter finally convinced me to use the things I had been saving.
I lost a friend to cancer some years ago. He was only 49. Since then, I've worked very hard not to save things for "special". Special is every single day we wake up and are breathing.
Wonderful post. Thanks for stopping by today it is nice to meet you. Have a fantastic holiday season.
I light candles for dinner and use our nicest plates, etc. just for fun.
Sure, there's a chance that something might get broken, but you only live once!
What a lovely post! I try to not have "only for" items….if I do, I never use them!
Thank you for stopping by my blog. You have a wonderful site and I'm adding you to my list!
Happy SITS Saturday Sharefest!
Fantastic message Elizabeth! I find myself saying those things about my kids…"Well, in a few years, it will be easier to travel" or "we should do that when the kids are older…" and I am actually missing the boat if I wait and not LIVE in the moment with them right now! Thanks for sharing this. Great reminder and good way to start my weekend!
Happy Saturday Sharefest from SITS!
How funny. This morning, I was looking for a necklace and I pulled out my Mom's emerald and diamond ring. I thought about wearing it, but decided it was "too fancy" for everyday. I think tomorrow I'll get it out of the box and wear it in her honor.
That's the spirit girls! Every time you look at your mom's ring you will smile and remember her. Every time you do things with the kids around, they will remember you. Candles & fancy plates are so civilized, and why not on a Tuesday night? I too lost a dear friend to cancer, and it really does remind you that every single day is a precious gift.
Happy holidays & happy EVERY day!
This makes me think of a short story by Alice Walker called "Everyday Use," where one of the daughters of an old woman wanted to put all of her mother's quilts in a museum, and the other daughter USED them. She had also learned how to make them.
I've always been of the "use them" camp. I get so much pleasure from wearing my "good" clothes, and using my "good" dishes (my mother is a potter), and the quilts I made when my kids were babies. Yes, occasionally I'll get a spot on something, or break a plate, and the quilts are long worn-out, but it was great while it lasted.
Wow. I love this. Brilliant advice. I am going to wear something special tomorrow just for doing chores and hanging out. And I will put makeup on too!
I learned this lesson quite some time ago. I decided to give up my plain dishes and start using my treasured Blue Willow for every day use. And nothing has been broken yet! I feel like dinner is special every day and these beautiful dishes really bring out the best in my meals.