Life is Short, Start Using the Good Stuff

I’ve never thought of myself as a collector of things, so when preparing to move not long ago I was more than a little surprised at the vast assortment of good stuff that I had stored away over the years.

The china cup and saucer sets left to me by my late grandmother are so delicate if you place your hand behind the saucer, you’ll see its shadow.

There was a beautiful leather-bound journal, long-forgotten jewelry, scented candles, luxury soaps, and articles of clothing, all carefully preserved in safe places awaiting just the perfect occasion to use them.

As I began sorting through these personal treasures, my senses were overflowing with the warm glow of so many wonderful feelings and memories, and I couldn’t help but ask myself, what have I been saving all this stuff for?

Burn the candles; use the nice sheets; wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Every day you are alive is a special occasion. ~Author Unknown

It’s Time to Start Using the Good Stuff

Last week I read a story that reminded me of that bittersweet exercise of having to decide what to let go of and what to haul across a few thousand miles of land and sea.

In the article, the author referred to her family’s habit of saving the good stuff for some unknown special occasion as “Waiting for the Pope”.

Substitute whatever celebrity or figurehead you choose, but I think that’s a great analogy and I have adopted it to remind myself to start using the good stuff.

I’m sure there are others who know people who have entire rooms in their home that are never used, or who has had a relative that used plastic coverings on their chairs and couches to protect them from actual use.

A good friend of mine spends her spare time painting landscapes so a couple of years ago I gave her a whole set of new paints to celebrate a birthday milestone.

She recently confessed to me that she’d kept the paints stored away so she could use them to create something really special, but they eventually dried up from lack of use and had to be tossed out.

It’s sad to think of how many potential memories are lost through the years because we’re waiting … for what?

If there is one overriding lesson that we’ve all learned from our journey through a global pandemic, it’s that life is it is fragile, precious, and unpredictable and each day is a gift, not a given right.

Is it Worth the Effort?

It is true — sometimes the good stuff is fragile so there’s always a bit of a risk when you use it.

It does take a little extra effort to use the fine china rather than the sturdy dishes you can just toss in the dishwasher and wearing the pretty blouse you had stored away means it won’t have that crisp look new anymore.

Challenging yourself to use the good stuff, to make extra effort to create more special moments in life, assumes that you believe it’s worth the effort; that YOU are worth the effort.

So, here’s my two cents.

I say life is short, it’s time to stop “Waiting for the Pope” so break out the good china for pizza night, pull out that pretty journal you tucked away until you have something impressive to say, and write away.

Use the fancy sheets and towels, light the scented candles, go wild with the bubble bath, and spritz on your favorite perfume just because it makes you feel pretty.

Instead of carefully preserving family heirlooms, create new memories around these treasured pieces with your own family.

Always keep a bottle of Champagne in the fridge for special occasions. Sometimes the special occasion is that you’ve got a bottle of champagne in the fridge! ~Hester Browne

Ultimately life is made up of moments. You can sit back and wait for them to happen, or you can choose to create more moments of your own.

Don’t wait for a special occasion that may or may not ever happen to use the good stuff.

Just being alive makes today special.

Here’s to living and loving your resilient life!