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What Special Occasion Are You Waiting For?
Why saving things for “later” is a very bad idea
My Mother’s belief in preserving things for future use
My mother was good at “savings things,” preserving them for some future special occasion. She saved things because she didn’t want them to get broken. Maybe she just wanted people to notice objects when she finally decided to use them. Possibly, she was emotionally attached to certain items that she didn’t want to sully them with everyday use.
I remember the top shelf of a kitchen cabinet, far out of reach, where a frosted glass pitcher painted with deep purple violets sat. Every time I asked Mother if we could use it because it was so pretty, Mother would say, “No. That was a wedding gift. I’m saving it for a special occasion.” Fifty years later, I can visualize a set of hand-painted china plates and matching cups that were NEVER taken out of the cupboard. Mother NEVER used them, keeping them safe from breakage or chips. When she had to move into an assisted living facility, she didn’t have room for them.
Years ago, Mother nearly had a heart attack when she saw me put my china into the dishwasher.
“But, Missi,” she shuddered, “the dishwasher will rub the gold finish off the edges and they’ll be…
