Life Is Too Short To Save The Good Dishes...

Yesterday I had a burst of energy and decided it was time to organize the pantry (again) and trash the Rubbermaid bowls without lids and lids without bowls. The energy lingered after those tasks were completed so I moved on to tackle the 'junk drawer' and before I knew it, I had cleaned out all the kitchen drawers as well as all the lower cabinets. Not willing to stop with the job half done, I grabbed my little ladder and started on the upper cabinets. I straightened plates and bowls and glasses and mugs and mixing bowls and baking dishes before moving to the cabinet with the 'good dishes', my collection of Franciscan 'Apple Blossom' pottery. My what lovely pieces those shelves held! The covered casserole, the gravy boat and the divided vegetable dish were my absolute favorites until the day I spotted those wonderful crescent shaped salad plates on the e-bay auction block. I knew instantly they had my name all over them! I remember sitting at the computer during the final minutes of the auction, anxiously hoping to win the grand prize, which I did. And, oh my, how beautiful and unique these rare, vintage pieces are.
Every Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthday or special occasion I would bring out 'the dishes', set a beautiful table, serve a wonderful meal, then return them to their place of rest where they would be safe and secure until the next event. But as I admired my collection yesterday, the thought occured to me that there is truly no day more special than this very one. Yesterday is but a memory and tomorrow I can only hope for, but this very moment, the here and now, is indeed quite special. God has certainly been mighty good to me. I have a wonderful family, a precious grand daughter and a very special man to love who, without doubt, was a gift straight from God. I have a beautiful home, wonderful gardens, good health and a great job. So this day---this very moment---there is indeed much to celebrate in my life. With that thought in mind, I begin to pack the 'everyday dishes' into the Goodwill box and move my prized collection into their place. The 'apple dishes' are the every day dishes now and they will serve as a constant reminder that celebrations need not occur only on the dates circled here and there on the calendar but, rather, with each sunrise we behold and with every breath we take.

This is the day that the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24