Embrace Your Life, Stop Saving Your Stuff for Later

There have been a lot of changes in my life in the last few months, including becoming a single mother, moving, and making a home for my daughter and myself.   Along this part of the journey there are many life lessons to be learned.

Silver linings abound, such as the excitement of purchasing a Victorian home, built in 1902 by one of the founders of my childhood town.

The idea of unpacking all of my dishware and having it available for gatherings with friends and family makes me smile, because it is a joy to host friends and set my table for them!  My Grandma Elsie's china cabinet, a built-in china cabinet and a Hoosier cabinet is ample room to house four sets of dishes and other pieces.

Over the weekend, opening each box of china felt like Christmas, re-discovering what was nestled in newspaper wrapping.  As our cat Willow played among the newspaper, I grabbed a page, saw the date and realized it had been at least eight years that some of these items were packed away.

My Grandma's orange carnival dishes eventually were stacked on my dining room table.  She bought them decades ago, and were never used.  I don't know why she didn't use them, but I know why I didn't.  If the dishes were ever to be sold, the stickers in tact will certainly bring a higher price.  I looked at this dishes and thought, "What the hell am I doing?!  Would I ever consider selling these dishes?  NO!"  The stickers are comnig off because I am going to use and enjoy these dishes!

My life lesson in this is to embrace the joy of today and not save things or experiences for later, because later may not come.  Embrace life, embrace the dishes!

What gifts received are tucked away because you'll save them for later?  What experiences could you move from someday, to a date and time on your calendar?