Living

On Using (and Using Up) Your Nicest Stuff

published Nov 6, 2014
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(Image credit: Kim Lucian)

I have a really nice candle that I’ve never lit. That is such a sad sentence, mostly because I got it as a gift last Christmas. For nearly a year, I’ve been saving this beautiful thing and finally I’ve started to wonder: what exactly am I waiting for?

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The thing about things is this: they end. Even beautiful, expensive things have a lifespan. They run out, they break, they get used up and that’s good! That means that they’re being enjoyed, not hidden away until the day when…when what? I still don’t know. The day when life is perfect enough to warrant the lighting of a wonderful-smelling candle? That’s just silly.

If the day ever arrives when I DO achieve that level of effortless perfection, I sure hope that there’s more to appreciate than a candle. Maybe today could be a little better if I just light the damn thing, appreciate it and realize that when it’s used up, I’ll be the richer for it.