A recent conversation with my dad has stuck in my brain. It was a chat we had while lounging in the hot tub at the local swimming pool while the kidlets splashed about in the “cold pool”
He mentioned to me a speech he had heard at a wedding a few years back.
In the speech, the man went on to describe how his wife had always kept special things for “a special day”, never wanting to ruin something beautiful on just an everyday occasion.
The story goes that these special items rarely made it out of the box and ended up being in as good condition when the wife passed away as they were when she got them.
My dad then went on to explain how obviously silly that is (although as a german he used much stronger words)
And I agreed.
Wholeheartedly.
We wait to use that one special item for the specialist of occasions, never daring to take it out for a spin and enjoy in case it gets ruined.
We buy homes and renovate them right before we move out, never having the chance to enjoy the changes we make, and ensuring it is “perfect” for the next owner.
So, moving forward, every day will be a special day. Every moment will count as a valuable day, as cherished as the others even if nothing special occurred. Because just having a day is something special to be appreciated.
The box of “fancy underwear” will be pulled out from the back of the drawer, and hubby and I are making plans to work on the parts of the house (and garden) we want to enjoy right away, vs the ones that make the most sense.
My father is a logical German former physics teacher. Everything had a plan and a place. Nothing was wasted, and nothing was left unused.
But, here in his older years, he is suddenly diving into a dose of excess, a moment where you can appreciate how hard he has worked and how much he has to show for it, and how (perhaps) that doesn’t mean as much as enjoying what he does have.
Words of wisdom that struck a chord in me. Enjoy all of it. Now. As much as you can.
That special occasion may never come (or it may not actually be as special as the day that seemed so ordinary after all)