Wear Your China

If you have ever seen my closet, you would know that I am at no loss for clothes. I have a very large walk-in closet full of all sorts of things. I am one blessed girl, this I know. And yet somehow, I frequently have nothing to wear. The other day was one such day, and I picked through my line of dresses a few times, feeling and remembering the purchase and wear of each one (yes, I love my dresses. And they love me.). A beautiful Giani Bini number stood out to me, a dress I spent a pretty penny on for family photos last year. I love this dress. It fits like a glove, comfortable, and in the prettiest shades of floraly blues and purples. I have only worn this dress once. 

 (My beautiful dress. And my beautiful family. And a logo over my  beautiful face!)

On this random Wednesday morning, I was feeling daring. I would wear this dress to work! It is a special occasion dress and I would wear it to no occasion at all. I felt liberated. More than that, I felt kind of gorgeous. 

People took notice; I received quite a few compliments from strangers. That made me stand a little bit straighter. When my friend Sonya also took notice, I explained my special occasion dress I chose to wear on “just a Wednesday.” She loved the idea, said a few “you-go-girls,” and told me that she took the same kind of outlook in her own life. She serves dinner every night on her fine china. “Someone took the time to buy me that china and I want to make every day feel special by eating off it! What good does its beauty do if it’s stuck in a cabinet?”

She is right! So much so that I coined a new life phrase from the conversation. You’ve got to wear your china! Forget YOLO and all that jazz, I want to wear my china and give these nice things I love and cherish the value and attention they deserve. And this goes so much deeper than just “stuff.”

In the video I posted in a recent post, I shared a video that a good friend showed me. In the video, the presenter shared some very important lessons he learned after almost losing his life. One thing about his presentation stuck out to me over the rest. He had a philosophy to collect cheap wine, because if someone wants to come over and visit, he is not only going to make the time for them, but he’s not going to make an excuse not to crack open a bottle of wine and enjoy the company. How often do we make excuses to hold off on things, put tasks off, or tell our family “maybe some other time?” Life only happens once, and it happens quickly. 

The moral of the story… Wear your china. You are not promised tomorrow so go ahead and wear that fancy dress you’ve been saving for a “special occasion,” open the bottle of wine, and serve dinner on your finest china. Spend time with the people who matter most; tomorrow is not promised to any of us and we need to make this moment count. 

Wear your china. Life is too short to feel anything but luxurious and special. Everyday. 

And you know what? Just go ahead and buy the matching shoes, too.