Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Stuff

Today I am grateful for stuff. Even though I rail against having to clean, sort, store all this *stuff* I am blessed to have such a problem. It's a self made problem. My girls don't need all the toys we are able to give them. I am lucky I can indulge whims--both theirs and mine. I don't need all the kitchen gadgets and cook ware and serving platters and such that I cram into my cupboards. Surely I don't need to keep five different types of sugar and at least four flours on hand at all times, but it makes me happy to have a well-stocked larder.

There are bigger things. We are lucky to have a dishwasher. A washer and dryer. A television and stereo system and all the goods that come with that including a closet full of movies and albums by our favorite artists. A sewing machine. Computers. Books. Tools and crafty items. Art supplies. The little things that make life fun and a house an entertaining place to be.

We have a house. No mean feat in the South Bay where just last year only 18% of the population could afford the median home prices. And within this home we manage to fit all this stuff.

In my cleaning and organizing and dusting and washing and stepping on things and finding pockets of clutter that make me crazy moments I need to remember to step back and be grateful because I am able to have this stuff. This fluff. This cherry on top kind of life. And not everyone does.

1 comment:

Selena Cate said...

What a beautiful post. I sell used box online for my business and a book came across my desk two days about about a very tragic thing that happened in Africa. I didn't mean to read the entire book at my desk but I couldn't put it down. And I spent every day since reading this book feeling grateful for everything in my life, including the mess, the stacks of dishes etc. I think we appreciate life so much more when we are grateful.