What are You Saving for a Special Occasion?
Pretty much every one of us has something that he or she is saving for a special occasion. Be it fine china, a special bottle of wine or champagne, that perfect little black dress.
Why are we saving it? What special occasion would merit the use of your great-grandmother’s fine china? For me, the answer is quite simple: life!
Life is the special occasion. It really does not get any more special than that.
As a child, we would visit my great-grandparents on both sides of my family. I was very fortunate in that three of my great-grandparents were alive well into my own adult years. I inherited a set of dishes from one set of great-grandparents. I remember eating off those dishes as I was growing up any time we visited Daddy Bill and Grandma.
The dishes were very pretty, turquoise and white, trimmed in gold. Many people would consider these fine china even back when they were new, but my great-grandma used them every day and for every meal. I was so thrilled when I was chosen to receive those dishes and I packed them up carefully and put them away in storage because I did not have a way to display them.
Over time, I often thought about those dishes boxed away in a dark storage, no longer being loved and appreciated. Then I asked myself, “What am I saving them for?” I should just use them like Grandma did. So, I did just that.
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They became our everyday dishes and every single time I set the table for my own family, I would think of Daddy Bill and Grandma and the many trips we made to visit them as I was growing up. I thought of Grandma’s runny scrambled eggs that she cooked every morning in the left-over bacon grease. I thought of the very distinct smell of the main bathroom in their home, the smell of old-timey Lysol cleaner. I envisioned Grandma standing at the stove in her house dress preparing breakfast for four generations of loving family.
For many years, we used those dishes daily and, as expected, over time every plate broke or disappeared until I had none left. But I was okay with that because I knew that those dishes had served their purpose and served it well, both for me and my great-grandmother.
I could have left them boxed away, safe from breakage, then eventually passed them along to my own daughter. But my daughter was not fortunate enough to know Daddy Bill and Grandma so the dishes would not have had the same meaning to her.
I stopped saving things for a special occasion a very long time ago because I learned that life, and things, are meant to be enjoyed. That perfect black dress was designed to be worn, to be seen. That wine was made to be consumed and enjoyed with friends. Those dishes were meant to feed someone’s family.
I no longer have any of my great-grandmother’s dishes, but I take comfort knowing that they were well-used and very much appreciated
Tamara’s Verdict
None of us knows how much time we have here on this earth. That special occasion may not ever present itself. Drink the wine. Wear the dress. Eat off the dishes. Just enjoy what you have and create your own special occasion every single day!
1 Comment
I love this! Such a great article! I am on the same boat, everything is meant to be used not to be adored!