Despite Good Intentions

Despite good intentions there is always a pile of newspapers cluttering up my counter, ready to go in the recycling bin.

Despite good intentions there is a growing pile of laundry to be washed every day.

Despite good intentions my son throws his clothes on the floor everyday...perhaps he will grow out of that by the time he turns nine, I can only hope.

Despite good intentions I still had to throw away a bag of lettuce leaves when I cleaned out my fridge this weekend.

Despite good intentions I still have not read past chapter one of Anna Karenina, I can only hope I get through it before the movie is released in Canada.

Despite all this, failings though they might be...the journey to a more intentional minimalistic life is on going. I didn't say it would happen over night.

Just like my journey to health and a balanced way of eating didn't happen overnight, so the journey to live intentionally with less continues. When you live with a vibrant and active family, it has to be a team effort and everyone has to be on the same page.

With good intentions my son emptied the recycling bin under the sink this weekend
With good intentions my daughter helped make dinner last night.
With good intentions I packed up another bag of clothes to be passed on.
With great intentions my husband swept the kitchen floor last night.

The children are learning to think of their "stuff" as temporary perks of life, and when they have outgrown their clothes, read their books and played with their toys they are growing used to the idea that they can't hold on to them. It is time to let go and give them away to others, pass them on.

That in itself is a great victory, particularly for my daughter who was reluctant in the past to even part with the recycling!

It is a journey, not a state of perfection! It takes a shift in mindset before it shows up in reality.

So it is WITH good intentions that we are making progress as a family.

The curse of the Display Cabinet.

A friend who lives far away, told me about how she had picked up a teapot and some teacups and had made a habit of enjoying her tea in the morning. With a jolt I realised that I was missing out on the same enriching experience. I had reduced my tea drinking experience to a mug and a teabag, (tea connoisseurs gasp in horror) and I was losing out on the wonderful ritual of a good cup of tea, savoured and enjoyed.

I had been struck with the curse of the "Display Cabinet." There sat 5 beautiful, antique teacups gathering dust. What is the point of having your best china under lock and key when you could be enjoying the God-given moments in life to slow down and be conscious of them, as they happen?

Once inspired, I extracted two of my "good china" cups and have been making my tea in my teapot from Beijing. It is a small one and perfect for just me. When I pour my tea each morning, I think of my dear friend who gave me that teapot and I think of her. Although I am pouring a cup for one, from a teapot for one, I am not alone. Whether I am drinking Green Tea, Jasmine Tea, Mate' Tea or Rooibos Tea or just plain old Orange Pekoe my consumption of it has become a treat, a wonderful experience which slows me down each day to think about what is important in life and those people who are in my life.

 Not only is the tea comforting, but my heart is warmed when I think of the friendships which have grown over a cup of tea. A dear friend of mine came for tea and brought with her, not only her caring heart, but a tin of rose tea. I think of her when I enjoy that fragrant tea and remember the conversation we shared that day.

Sometimes it is not only our teacups that we hide in the display cabinet, but our hearts. Afraid of getting chipped and used, we keep them behind glass doors, almost as if to say, "You can look, but you can't touch, you can't come too close." How many moments do we miss out on in life, all because of the curse of the "Display Cabinet"?

My Teacups are no longer gathering dust in the display cabinet. I hope that I will pledge to be like that in other areas of my life too. How about you?



By Melony Teague
www.melonyteague.com
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