Photography by Lori K. Tate
Brace yourselves, I’m not a Star Wars fan. I respect the film series. I’m fine with people loving it and being fanatical about it. I love Princess Leia’s hair, and I get that the special effects of the movies are awesome. I’m just not into films where an organization chart is needed to understand what the heck is going on. So the other night when John took Graydon to see Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Margot was at a friend’s house), I went to see Little Women.
Let’s do a little housekeeping here. One — I’ve never read the book, but, of course, I know the story. (I’m going to read it this month, I swear.) Two — No, I didn’t’ see the 1994 version starring Winona Ryder. Three — I love going to the movies by myself and don’t do it nearly often enough.
Moving on, there were so many wonderful moments in this movie (Amy’s speech in the art studio being one of them), but one line that stuck out for me was when Marmee gave Meg her necklace to wear at the debutante ball. As she presented it to her, she told her daughter that “pretty things should be enjoyed.” I filed that little nugget away so I could examine it after the movie, and lucky for you, the examination begins now.
I’m an on-again, off-again shopaholic who loves fashion and who is embarrassed by her stuffed closet. The sad part about my closet is that I only wear about a tenth (if that) of what I own. I give things to Goodwill and I consign pieces in an effort to simplify, but my closet continues to overflow.
Many times an item isn’t parted with because I tell myself that I’m saving it for a special occasion. I have a beautiful faux fur vest that’s been waiting two years for its big day, along with a Swarovski ring that’s been waiting three times as long.
The Tuesday before holiday break, I had to dress up for a Hospice memorial service. I remember feeling like Huggy Bear as I walked up to carpool in my faux fur coat (I obviously have a thing for faux fur), but then I thought about it. When I was a kid I liked dressing up in my Chinos and preppy sweaters. In sixth grade, I asked Santa for a brief case. And though I now dwell in the casual region of life as a mom of two who works from home and loves to exercise, I feel weird wearing athletic clothing when I’m not working out. (It’s growing on me, but it still feels strange.)
Don’t worry, this entry isn’t about encouraging you to dress up every day or buy name brand things. It’s about realizing how every day is a special occasion, and that it’s okay to wear your pearls to the grocery store because of that realization — or simply because you feel like it.
Special moments happen every day, and we hardly notice them. Every morning that we wake up is significant. If you don’t believe that, ask someone who has a loved one who didn’t wake up or who woke up with a diagnosis that they didn’t have the day before. Cliché as it may sound, every day is a gift, and gifts are often part of special occasions.
For Christmas, I had two gold charms added to my charm bracelet. One was a coin pendant that belonged to my mother and another was a medallion monogrammed with my mother’s initials on one side and “You are my sunshine!” on the other. Even though this piece of jewelry is beyond precious to me, I don’t wear it every day. One reason is that it makes a lot of noise, and I don’t want to be the person who sounds like wind chimes as she pecks her laptop at the local coffee shop. (I’ve gotten some mean looks for that in the past).
Regardless, last Sunday I meant to wear it to church. As I sat there listening to the sermon, I looked at my bare wrist, regretting that I missed a special occasion for my bracelet. (Don’t worry I heard the minister’s message.) The next night I made a point of wearing it to dinner with my three best friends from high school — occasions don’t get more special than that.
As we venture into a new year (and I resist the urge to write a generic entry about how I can see clearly now that it’s 2020 — oh how tempting it is), I encourage you to appreciate how special every day is. If you want to pull out your silk scarf to celebrate that, I’ll be right there with you wearing my charm bracelet.