Good day Beloved. I was listening to one of my favorite radio talk shows not long after all this Covid crap began and the host was talking about saving the good stuff for a special occasion. Have you ever said that? I would bet your parents or grandparents did. You know what I am talking about, the good china only comes out at Christmas, the good glasses are for company. That special bar of soap momma bought will be used only when getting ready to go to a super special wedding, etc, etc. You get the idea.
Now by the end of that radio conversation I had been swayed to the host’s way of thinking. Here is what was said, USE THE GOOD STUFF, why save it for a day you may never see? Use the good stuff, why have it sitting around taking up space and collecting nothing but dust? Use the good stuff now or maybe the next time it does get used will be for your own funeral and what good will it have done for you then? I must admit that I am of the camp that believes “if it sparks joy, keep it, if not, it goes away”. This philosophy has really been on mind a lot since I became a widow. What am I going to do with the 3 sets of “good” dishes? What am I going to do with all the collectibles that are just packed away and have not seen the light of day in decades? My conclusion – use the good stuff.
Now, the good china I actually plan on selling simply because I tend to break even “unbreakable” dishes. I have however used that special bar of soap that she thought was so pretty but never found the right occasion to break it open. What are we saving things for? Let me just say that money does not qualify for “use the good stuff” idea. Save your money when you can. Stuff on the other hand, what are we saving it for? Here are a couple of questions I have been asking myself fairly often as of late. Does this (fill in the blank) give me joy when it just sits here collecting dust? Would “it” give me joy if I used it today as it was intended to be used? If yes, then use the good stuff! If no, then let it move on to someplace where it will bring the joy it was intended to deliver.
Some of the things I have decided to use kinda harken back to my last post “Beautiful Sadness”. When my wife and I first got together we bought a pair of coffee mugs that have two women dancing together on them. Mind you this was 30 years ago when attitudes of the general populace were a bit different. It was a big freakin’ deal to be so “out”, at least it was to us. Since my Dolly passed I have begun using these coffee cups partly because they bring me a beautiful sadness of joy and partly because, what am I saving them for? Almost certainly I will cry when I break one of them which I know I will because that is what I do. I ask you this, is it not better to use something and have joy for a while rather than to have something that mocks you every time you have to dust it but never get to actually use it?
As always Beloved, these are just my rambling thoughts. You do you. Have a lovely…….
Mona LangmaackMelin
Mona's Monday Musings 