I am willing to look at the things that are considered strong symbols of a life in progress. The soap in the bathroom: organic or natural with a fruit fragrance (NOT anti-bacterial). The flowers in the garden: more tomatoes than flowers (heirloom varieties); the exception is my grandmother's peony bushes that are close to 60 years old (these are probably my favorite possession). The book on my bedside table: there is never just one! Usually I have a cheesy romance novel and a young adult selection. Currently these selections are Will Grayson Will Grayson (YA lit) and Then He Kissed Me by Christie Ridgway. That doesn't include the shelf on my nightstand. There you will find Rodney Yee's The Poetry of Yoga, a meditation book, and REALLY cheesy romance novels that no one else is willing to read. Feel free to discuss what these details mean about my authentic self!
Grateful today for:
- A reliable vehicle to transport me to work (and swim boys to wet spots around the state!)
- Creative energy from collaboration
- Meaningful conversations with my son
Those who know me will not be surprised that my creativity about my living space is essentially limited to how I would "tweak" what I have now rather than starting from scratch. Infinite choices makes decision-making difficult if not impossible for me. I guess what I came away with from today's reading wasn't so much about filling my house with things, but what few (20, if you like) of the literally thousands of things we all have are truly important, that I would truly feel their loss if they were gone. And truthfully, there aren't many. My MIL's amazing watercolor paintings, that convey so much of her spirit. My Christmas tree skirt and afghan that my grandma crocheted for me. My wedding ring, which is more about what it symbolizes than its possession as jewelry. A collection of pottery made by a friend of the family that makes me smile every time I use it.
ReplyDeleteEven pictures and scrapbooks, in this day of digital storage, are not irreplaceable,even though they are some of my favorite things.
Clothes are not particularly special to me. They're really more about covering my hide, some things more flatteringly than others, but they can all be replace by something just as nice if need be. Even my shoes, which are admittedly something of an obsession with me (luckily I'm a cheapskate and don't have any $800 designer shoes...) are not irreplaceable. So given the freedom to do things exactly the way I want, I would make some changes to my current space, make a few rooms bigger, paint my yellow bathroom, but I'm pretty happy with how things are.
Although I don't usually list "things" I'm grateful for, today I'm grateful for the few possessions I listed that have meaning to me beyond their material worth.