Blog Day 26

Compare what you used to want with what you want presently.

Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted nothing more than to be a wife, mother and homebody.  Back in my day, that's what I was "urged" to do.  My grandmother taught me how to sew (I made my first full dress when I was 10) and bake bread (yum).  She also taught me a lot about being domesticated.  I also was raised by a father that thought women should stay home and not work (go figure).  My sister got to do all that, so I kind of wanted to be like her.  After I got older, I discovered Martha Stewart!

I watched Martha religiously every day, loving her homey ideas, yummy recipes, her take on home life.  I bought anything I could afford that she was selling.  I was so inspired by her.  I started collecting linens, dishes, planting pots, making some of the crafts that she made, collecting all the things that a wife should have to entertain and have a family.  I never could afford the "expensive" stuff, so I made do with "nice looking" stuff.  It always was nice and got me what I wanted.  I collected, and collected, and collected over the years.  I hid everything away thinking that I would actually get to use it some day.  I did once in awhile if I had a dinner party, but being single, those didn't happen very often.  I never did get married and have the kind of home life that I wanted to back in those days.

As I got older and realized once and for all that this enchanted life I'd dreamed of all my life wasn't going to come true, I started getting rid of all that I had collected.  Most of the linens, the 5 sets of dishes that I never used, the beautiful platters, bowls, teapots, vases, etc.  It wasn't until I was in my later 50's that I started getting rid of all these things, and I'm glad I did.

I've moved a couple of times since then, and now that I am older I like less clutter.  I've kept some of the linens to decorate now and then, only have 1 set of dishes (but they are the good dishes I saved all those years and didn't want to use because I thought they might get broken, and decided to use them every day instead of letting them collect dust), only a couple of teapots (I used to have quite a collection), and very little stemware.  I have kept the dishes that were my parents, but they do just sit there and collect dust.  I've realized that I don't like to pack it, move it, clean it, use it...I'm just over it all.  I want to simplify my life as I age, and not worry about"all that stuff".  I also don't want my daughter to have to deal with it all after I'm gone.

So that was the before, and now, and I'm much happier and less "handicapped" now.