Me (with pieces of broken glass in my hand):
Mummy, sorry the glass broke.
Mum (looking at me incredulously):"The glass BROKE!!!???!!!" How? It jumped out of your hands saying "Let go - I want to break?"
Oh my!!!! I think tears were streaming down my eyes as I took responsibility for unintentionally breaking the glass while doing the dishes. And needless to say, I learned a lesson on taking responsibility which I have never forgotten and pass on to my children and others.
The second lesson I learned from a very different "the glass broke", more like china lost situation, was that:"You lose what you do not use."
Let me explain: a few years after my Mum's passing we were looking through all the trunks and boxes of things she had carefully stored over the years for those special occasions. And then I opened the wooden truck where she had kept the china they got as wedding gifts (over 2 decades earlier).
Oh what unique, pretty and delicate dinnerware sets comprising: dinner plates, side plates, soup bowls, teacups, saucers, serving dishes etc. As I picked up the first one, it crumbled into powder in my hands...as did the next one, and the next one. Eventually - and thankfully - we came across some that we usable though we salvaged less than a quarter of the china. And as you may have guessed I put them into use immediate . In fact I have and use a few of them in my home currently (i.e. over 30 years after her passing...wonder how old they really are). That in itself speaks to how if you buy things of quality (and use them well), they last. Well spending the right amount of money on quality items is a lesson for another post.
Fast forward a few years later, when our children were younger we took the necessary care to ensure that the plates and cups they used were "age appropriate." As they grew older I put more of our wedding gifts into use and even relocated with a lot of them. And of course, like my Mum, I had kept some things for special occasions.
And then one day, it hit me that my family is the most special gift I have and hence they should get the best that we have. So I put some extra special glasses into regular use. I mean why should my husband and I (and our children) not enjoy our wedding gifts?
Well, guess what happened a few weeks after our 20th Wedding anniversary?
Child: "Mum, the glass broke."Me (Mum): "The glass what?!!!" It jumped out of your hand? (where have I heard that before? 😊)
I was really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really (ok enough reallys) cross. Then shared the lesson about owning up/taking responsibility for our actions and failings again. It took a few days, but I got over it. Who would harbor anger or even worse, not forgive another person because of a glass?
Fast forward a few weeks,
Child: "Mum, sorry I broke this glass." ==================>
Me (Mum): "Please leave this place."
Though I was cross again (even more reallys than above) and felt there may have been some carelessness in doing the dishes, I'm truly grateful that the glass didn't break in storage. Oh yes and that my child wasn't hurt by broken glass 😊.
I'm only sharing this (actually venting) because I wonder how many of us have sentimental attachments to things and refuse to let go. The other reason is because I wonder how many of us have things - plates, tablecloths, outfits, shoes etc. that we're keeping for those special occasions? Every day you are alive is a special occasion; enjoy what you have. What you do not use, you lose...do not lose what you have gained.
(Thanks to my dear cousin for sharing this picture above in her What's App status)
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