My life is real… everyday! For that I am thankful. In fact, if there is one thing for which I have infinite gratitude it is the authenticity of my life. If I am sounding a little condescending I don’t mean to. And, I am not judging anyone. We all have our preferences and our priorities. But, I have to say that once I simplified my life and accepted the person I am, life has been really good.
I have to share this experience. I’ll be whizzing in the Wheaties of a neighbor by doing so. But, so be it. This morning a neighbor a couple of blocks down the street from my house called and asked if I could come over for a while. She said she needed a little bit of help. I didn’t ask… I just went.
Well, if you have been keeping up with my gratitude journal you know by now that I’m not into drama. I love great stories and exciting experiences… but no drama. And, if you have read along you should have recognized that I have reached the age when life is what it is. That’s not to say that I am not filled with hope for the future, even my future. But, the little unexpected events in life just do not corral too much of my attention these day, nor do I get in a tizzy. For any of you who don’t know this southern word, “tizzy” is the emotional state that usually leads one to a “hissy fit.” Just read on and you will figure it out.
So, I arrived at the neighbor’s house and she was scurrying about like a starving rat in a room full of cheese. I mean, when she opened the front door for me she had all but disappeared into an adjoining room before I set my first foot across the threshold. Even though she escaped my line of sight, I could hear her near hysterical babbling. So, I bit. I asked what all the commotion was about.
Now, let me say that this particular neighbor is pretty tidy. I have never seen her house dirty, you know… real dirt. But, like most of us she does keep a few of her favorite magazines on a small table next to her favorite chair and a yarn and thread basket in case she feels like doing something with her hands while watching television. Usually there is a book on her footstool. But, that’s what “living” in your house is about.
As it turned out, I was of little use beyond watching. I was totally fatigued when I left for home so I am guessing she was physically and mentally exhausted. Here’s the thing. She was dusting, vaccuuming, polishing silver, rewashing her “best” china and looking for the “good” towels. Oh, please!
A nephew is coming to see her tomorrow. He will probably stay an hour or less. In fact, about every five years this nephew calls the day before he is going to pop in to announce that he will be stopping by on his way to somewhere. And, every five years he announces that he is going to bring his new wife. It kind of makes one wonder if he remarries every five years so he won’t have to make the journey alone. Well, that was ugly of me. But, let me just say that this nephew doesn’t call, doesn’t email or write, doesn’t send a birthday or Christmas card… he just announces his arrival with a new wife about once every five years. And, while I’m being a little catty… I have noticed that as he has aged in the 20 years I have known of his visits, his wives get younger. Okay… Okay… it’s just an observation.
Anyway, this neighbor got her knickers in a twist because the notice was less than 24 hours and she felt as if she had to clean the house from top to bottom, scrub all the tubs and toilets, get our her best china and silver flatware… You get the idea.
So that brings me to being so thankful for my real life. I understand the saying “dress to impress.” And, I do understand that if Boo (my dog) had killed another one of her stuffed toys I would pick up the stuffings and the button eyeballs. But, I would do that anyway.
But, as I walked home today I wondered why we have such a tendency to try to bring out the “good stuff” for people we barely know, don’t really care about, and won’t see again for a long, long time if ever. Why do we “save” the “good stuff” for people who contribute very little, if anything, to our daily happiness? And, what would happen to all that “good stuff” if no one that we don’t really care about popped in? Would we ever use it? Or, would we save it for someone else to throw away after we die?
Crazy, isn’t it? Of course, I figured out a long time ago that if I work for something I should have first use of it. Maybe that’s selfish of me. And, if I’m going to clean my house from top to bottom and make it spotless for an hour or two, I’m going to do it for myself and my family… those that live in the same house. And, heaven only knows why I would use thin stiff towels with tattered edges when I have a linen closet full of those nice soft plush ones. It just doesn’t seem right to me.
It’s kind of like my mother used to always tell me to wear my best underwear when I was going on a trip, just in case I had a wreck or something. Well… I wore my best underwear. And, I was in a very serious wreck. They took me to the hospital and cut my underwear off of me. Later I wished I had worn my best at home and my less than perfect underwear while traveling.
Yep, maybe that experience is what taught me that it’s best… at least for me… to give my best, to show my best, and to enjoy my best with those people I love the most… those who accept me for who I am. Today I am so thankful for living my real life and enjoying my “good stuff” everyday.
