Yesterday
I pulled out the ugly, corroded silver dishware from my china hutch: a plate
and large serving tray from my husband’s mother and a gravy boat and saucer
from my mother. Horribly tarnished and
gray, they weren’t much to look at. And although I’ve always known that there
is something more, deep underneath the tarnished layer of nasty, sadly, I’ve never
used any of them.
Of course, it’s
understandable that we haven’t used the silver from my mother-in-law. It was
passed down to my husband only a few months ago when his mother died. But the gravy
boat, on the other hand, the one that’s been in my family for four generations,
the one that was passed down to me by my mother ten years ago when she died, should
have had more attention by now. I’ve never used it. Ever. It’s just sat there
on a shelf in the hutch.
As I pulled out these prized,
yet dull and stained dishes, I reached for the silver polish too. I mean, they deserve it, especially this year. The
dishes deserve to be more than just a tarnished thing of the past. I sat on my
back deck, clouds overhead. I reached for a rag, scooped up some polish and
began to work on one piece at a time, one corner at a time, and one detail at a
time. I paid special attention to the areas that had been neglected for so
long. Little by little, I could see what began to reveal itself as my
reflection. And as the sun began to break through the clouds, my reflection
became clearer and the brilliance of something special began to show itself. It
shined with a clarity that I hadn’t imagined. It was beautiful. The kind of
Beautiful that has purpose and pride.
So as the New Year’s season
comes upon us and the thought of revisions and revival arise, I’m reminded that
those stories from the past that look ugly and tarnished, may very well need some
extra polish and scrubbing, especially in those areas of fine detail.
And who knows, perhaps something stunning will emerge with purpose and pride,
just as the fine silver dishes will tonight as they present the most sparkly
Christmas Eve dinner ever.
Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and happy revising to you all.
*Cheers*
Lovely analogies and lovely gravy boat. It seems happy :0)