Monday’s Meditation: On Saving Vs. Enjoying

August 4, 2014

happiness is now. Treat yourself with small luxuries today, rather than saving them out of guilt for some vague tomorrow.

Recently I fell in love with a new perfume that has a retail price much higher than that of the fragrance I have been wearing for years (which isn’t cheap either).

It all started when I mentioned to my friend that I had heard rave reviews about this mystical perfume which I couldn’t seem to get my hands on. Of course being the wondrous that she is, my friend tracked it down and gifted me a sample of the scent for my birthday. Intoxicated by those sacred drops, I went ahead and bought myself two more miniature tester vials (I wanted to be sure).

After using those two samples up I had to admit it: I was in too deep. I had to buy the bottle because I loved the stuff.

And so I purchased the full size bottle and began wearing it daily. Every now and then though I would observe the ever-lowering liquid level. And there it was: that twinge of guilt. I would think, “maybe I should slow down, try wearing it more sparingly.”

Thankfully, we are all here to remind each other of what’s real. So it was that Sarah’s post on why we shouldn’t save the good stuff jolted me back: there is no reason why I should feel guilty about enjoying something that genuinely makes me happy every day.

It’s amazing how many of us are in the habit of falling prey to the invented notion that we should be preserving whatever we own that’s most expensive or rare, rather than enjoying it. 

Even long after we’ve paid for an item, or undergone the process of procurement whatever it entails, even then do we trap ourselves in a net of guilt. The knowledge of how much a thing costs, or how much it entailed to get does not give us further incentive to utilize it, as would logically figure.

This fear of using the “good stuff” now posits that we should hoard precious things because we won’t likely be able to obtain such things again in the future. Or, it suggests that we doubt ourselves and our decisions, or believe we shouldn’t treat ourselves to things that make us feel cared for.

If, on the same day, we buy one cheaper shirt that we feel mildly about, as well as a blouse we absolutely love that’s much more expensive, the choice as to which one will get worn more frequently is fairly obvious. “I don’t want the good one to get ruined,” we tell ourselves, “I should save it.”

Save it. Save it for what? Or for when, exactly?

What is the point of having treasured items if we are not to enjoy them?

There is no coming Golden Day. There will be no point at which a sign magically appears and announces “today is the day to do all the things and wear all the special shirts!”

These are the days that matter. These are the days that are magic. These, everyday, real-life days. They are the only ones we’ll get.

That candle whose scent you absolutely adore? Burn it.

That bottle of bubbly you’re saving for some special occasion? Find a reason to celebrate with it this weekend.

That dress or handbag or felt fedora you’re too scared to wear, for fear that it will get damaged? Don it with all the gusto of a sassy editorial spread.

We know that where stuff comes from there are is a multitude more. There are far better things even, than we can imagine.

Things are things, still. They are not meant to last forever, but to be used, to get damaged if they may. We are the only ones we need to do our very best to care for as if we were meant to last for eternity.

 

7 Comments

  1. Leslie on August 4, 2014 at 5:44 am

    Would you mind sharing the name of the wondrous fragrance ?! 😉 I find I am the same way with concealer, of all things. If I splurge and spend half my grocery allowance on a new concealer that promises to cover my circles, I feel I should save it or use it ever so sparingly. But why? I obviously want to make my eyes look better now, and by the time I use it up (or it goes bad), there will surely be at least 100 more new concealers on the market with better promises. Silly human nature. Enjoy each day and use the things you enjoy without guilt.

  2. Shannon on August 4, 2014 at 5:53 am

    I agree with Leslie! Lovely post —- am dying to know the perfume!

  3. Kate S. on August 4, 2014 at 9:02 am

    Love this post. I grew up with a mom who was a saver. Thankfully, my mother in law taught me to use the good stuff. Use the china – if it breaks – oh well. I don’t even own cheap wine glasses anymore. I use my wedding crystal even on the back patio.

  4. Alka on August 4, 2014 at 9:18 am

    I’d love to know the name of perfume. Thank for this post!

  5. Leslie Hargenrader on August 5, 2014 at 9:54 am

    Well put. I think conservation is certainly important and necessary for healthy living and maintaining an environment we all want to live in. It goes hand in hand with other sound concepts like balance and moderation. However, I also agree that life is for LIVING and it’s way too short, even for the lucky ones who get the maximum number of years to work with. Nice things were invented to be experienced. Someone should forward this post to the miserable folks who have spent their lives squandering their good fortune of being able to have ‘nice’ things – keeping them locked away in a cabinet (except for one day out of the year), or decorating a beautiful parlor room JUST for company, or buying a lovely sofa…and putting horrible plastic covers on the cushions, ensuring a fate of uncomfortable immortality, all for what?

  6. […] carted off too many loads of clutter to count, I got around to asking them: what exactly were they saving the floors for? Didn’t they love the floors they’d had installed? Didn’t they love the light […]

  7. […] we’ve talked about before, there is no point in saving the good stuff. The time is now to enjoy the […]

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7 Comments

  1. Leslie on August 4, 2014 at 5:44 am

    Would you mind sharing the name of the wondrous fragrance ?! 😉 I find I am the same way with concealer, of all things. If I splurge and spend half my grocery allowance on a new concealer that promises to cover my circles, I feel I should save it or use it ever so sparingly. But why? I obviously want to make my eyes look better now, and by the time I use it up (or it goes bad), there will surely be at least 100 more new concealers on the market with better promises. Silly human nature. Enjoy each day and use the things you enjoy without guilt.

  2. Shannon on August 4, 2014 at 5:53 am

    I agree with Leslie! Lovely post —- am dying to know the perfume!

  3. Kate S. on August 4, 2014 at 9:02 am

    Love this post. I grew up with a mom who was a saver. Thankfully, my mother in law taught me to use the good stuff. Use the china – if it breaks – oh well. I don’t even own cheap wine glasses anymore. I use my wedding crystal even on the back patio.

  4. Alka on August 4, 2014 at 9:18 am

    I’d love to know the name of perfume. Thank for this post!

  5. Leslie Hargenrader on August 5, 2014 at 9:54 am

    Well put. I think conservation is certainly important and necessary for healthy living and maintaining an environment we all want to live in. It goes hand in hand with other sound concepts like balance and moderation. However, I also agree that life is for LIVING and it’s way too short, even for the lucky ones who get the maximum number of years to work with. Nice things were invented to be experienced. Someone should forward this post to the miserable folks who have spent their lives squandering their good fortune of being able to have ‘nice’ things – keeping them locked away in a cabinet (except for one day out of the year), or decorating a beautiful parlor room JUST for company, or buying a lovely sofa…and putting horrible plastic covers on the cushions, ensuring a fate of uncomfortable immortality, all for what?

  6. […] carted off too many loads of clutter to count, I got around to asking them: what exactly were they saving the floors for? Didn’t they love the floors they’d had installed? Didn’t they love the light […]

  7. […] we’ve talked about before, there is no point in saving the good stuff. The time is now to enjoy the […]

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