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What's Really Important?
Two years ago, I sold or donated almost everything I owned in the way of household goods in anticipation of becoming mostly a traveler. That did not work out the way I had hoped, so at a rather “late” age in life, I have begun to slowly replace some of those items, generally only those that I believe to be really necessary. I used to pride myself on my great collections of “things”……..great china and wonderful stoneware dishes, matching pots and pans, perfect table linens, etc. My table settings were always “perfect”—everything matching and perfectly placed on the table. Yes, a picture of grace and elegance—that was my table when I entertained. Last evening, I had guests for dinner for the first time since eliminating all of those “things” from my life. No longer do I have the china or the beautiful stoneware or the table linens. In fact, just about everything I have in my home (except for my wall and occasional tables art) was free. Either given to me by friends or retrieved from those generous folks at our local “Freecycle” network, I have furnished my entire home with freebies. In the past, I would have been embarrassed by some of the things I now have. My sofa, though very nice, is not the color I would choose. My lamps do not currently have lampshades. One of my chairs needs to be recovered. I am sleeping on an air mattress. Do I still like beautiful things? Yes, I do. Are they important to me now? Only if I allow them to be, but most definitely not in the same way they used to be. The truth of the matter is that I have everything I need. My sofa is very comfortable. My lamps light my rooms at night. I have thrown a very pretty afghan over my chair that needs to be recovered. My queen-sized air mattress is extremely comfortable. And last night, my company and I sat down at my little table (which rocks a little bit if you hit it too hard) and had the best darned dinner! My current dishes are plastic, but colorful. My napkins, though paper towels, were folded in an attractive manner. All in all, the table looked divine, quite festive really, even without the grandeur of yesteryear. The best part, however, was not in the “things” anyway. The best part was the sharing of wonderful food with wonderful friends. What have I learned from all of this? Beautiful things are very nice and I appreciate the fact that I have had lots of them in the past. I am also glad for the ones I still have. But it is the people— the friends—that really matter. That’s what is really important. When we allow ourselves to be overrun with acquiring things, we often lose sight of the joy of just being. I now know in my heart that the most important thing to me is to be surrounded by the love of my friends and family. You can always buy more china, but you can’t even put a price on the feelings you have when you share your life with your loved ones. Would I still like to travel all over the United States? Yes, I would. But I also have come to know the importance of what I already have, and that is the love and deep friendship of many wonderful people. I am grateful!
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This intel was contributed by Oceana
Oceana
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May, 2012
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