A story for you: when I was a girl, I read a book about a pioneer family in America. The daughter was my age (9 or 10), and she was unhappy with her life of farm work, weeding the garden, and taking care of younger kids.
Her mother had a trunk filled with treasures from her life in the city, with fancy dresses and wedding gifts.
One of those gifts was ‘the good dishes.’
Every day, the little girl set the table with the cracked dishes — the ones that didn’t match. Sometimes her mother would let her open the trunk and look at the treasures, but she was never allowed to touch them.
The girl asked and asked, but the answer was always the same.
No. It’s not a special occasion.
One day, in this novel, a man rode to the homestead on a big horse. It was George Washington. And of course, the mother finally put on one of the dresses from that trunk, and let the girl set the table with the good dishes.
Once.
How sad is that?
I remember thinking, at age nine, if I ever have anything pretty, I will wear it. If I have good dishes, I will set the table every day, just to look at them. I will never ever ever keep my treasures hidden in a trunk to use once … for some man on a horse.
Over my life, I have broken a lot of promises to myself — but that one I’ve kept.
I wear the dresses.
I use the dishes.
These ones, above, are Royal Crown Derby and around 100 years old. I inherited them last year from a dear ‘adopted’ Grandmother. I keep them in a handy shelf in plain view.
If you come over for lunch or tea, I’ll use them.
Because this: I am not going to save my treasures. I am not like the little girl who was forced to be practical when all she wanted was pretty.
If you’ve got something special — tea cups or talent — consider bringing it out from the treasure chest and into the light.
What are we waiting for?
Let’s love our age!
Catherine x