Put Your Possessions To Use – Even If It’s Scary
In our house, we quote the tv show, Friends, a lot – probably every day on some occasion or another. In one episode, Phoebe, the character with a hippy perspective on life, is upset that Joey is selling Christmas Trees. She doesn’t like that the trees are chopped down for a consumeristic holiday tradition. However, Joey tells her that they are fulfilling their destiny by being a Christmas Tree and that seems to make her feel okay about the whole concept.
While I don’t think that objects have souls, I do think they have a purpose, just like that Christmas Tree in Friends. The objects in my life are meant to be used and put to work. They aren’t meant to just sit collecting dust.
Go eat off of your china dishes.
Write on that beautiful stationary.
Wear the gorgeous dress.
Beautiful things can get put to good use too. They don’t have to just collect dust, or take up space. They can be a special part of your life because of the memories you make using them.
But, what if they break?
I get it – you don’t want to use some things because they are precious. While I realize that a season of life with toddlers running around might inhibit you from using your fine china for dinner, I also know that it’s just a season. There might be some things in your life that truly are for display only. There are some things that are just too fragile or too precious to use again. But, if your entire house is full of items that are too fragile and too precious, you are literally tip-toeing through life. That’s no way to live.
We are trying to use the things in our home to their full potential. Yes, they could get damaged. Yes, they might get some wear and tear. But, they are being used for what they were made for.
Here are a couple examples:
- We have taken some of our favorite artwork from when we were kids and framed them as artwork in our homes. It’s not HGTV-worthy, but it’s better than sitting in a box in the basement.
- Our kitchen table is over 115 years old and has been part of at least five generations of my family. It squeaks and creaks and could be simply stored in our basement for when we have a more safe place to use it. Instead, we use it as our everyday table. I love that we’re making memories at it now in our own home and it’s fun to think about the thousands of other meals that happened at it in the past.
- Mementos are often used as our “decor.” I don’t often buy knick-knacks and things to set around the house for decoration. I try to pull from the mementos we have or have been given, so that even something that’s there merely for decoration, can feel like it has a deeper story too.
- A fancy silver platter we got for our wedding is used regularly to bring snacks to parties and for our own events. Maybe a little fancy for a summer bbq, but I get to put it to good use.
Now, we’re just as guilty as the next person for keeping things and not using them for fear that we’ll ruin them. We’re working toward getting better about this. It’s a constant battle. For some reason, we want to protect things and preserve them. That’s all good, but if we are doing this, only to never actually let the item get put to any use, that’s an even bigger waste.
What items do you have around your home that you are afraid to use?
What items could be put to better use for their specific purpose, some creative purpose, or even just decoration?