Use the Soap

I used to have quite the collection of fancy Italian bath soaps.  I keep them in a lovely jar in the bathroom and I used to love to open the lid just to smell them. I never used them, though. These were my fancy soaps.  For special occasions.  Not to be used!

Then one day, I was about to take a bath and thought I would pamper myself by using one of those lovely soaps.  What was I waiting for?  I used the soap and I kept on using it. Now, I have only two bars of fancy Italian soap left.

I started using this same philosophy with my "good"dishes and my real silverware.  If I only ever use these items on special occasions, they may never get used.  And what about my perfume?  And fancy underwear?  I was holding onto all of these things and never using them for a variety of reasons.  Wanting to preserve them for special moments only or fearing that if I used them, there would never be any more. 

The problem with this thinking is that there may be no more special occasions. I could die tomorrow morning without having had the pleasure of using all of those things.  I started to learn that lesson when my father's life was cut short at 55 in a pedestrian/auto accident.  And it has been brought to the forefront of my mind with the recent release of interviews with some of the Newtown families.  I could only make it through two interviews until I completely broke down.  It reminded me yet again how precious and fleeting life is.  I must cherish my loved ones every single day.  If my son wants some cuddle time while I am folding laundry, I STOP FOLDING LAUNDRY.  Laundry can wait, love cannot. 

This year, I am trying to embrace life.  I am not putting things off anymore. And I am taking the time to cherish the people in my life.  In the time I have left, I'm going to break out the good stuff and celebrate now.  Because "night cometh" and we need to use the good soap now.