To Be, or Not To Be

 

A big part of who I am is who I am not.

Two examples:

My Dad views life as a sort of check-list. He told me once that he never really wanted kids (thanks, Dad) but that’s just the way it’s done: you get a job, you get married, you have kids. A task is completed, you move on to the next one.

I don’t live like that.

My Mom was big on saving things “for a special occasion.” We had a Christmas candle that was too pretty to light, and in one of our many moves it melted into a blob in a moving van. She had a bottle of wine that was set aside, and eventually it went bad. She had a set of expensive glasses someone had given her, and when she died they remained in the hutch, unused.

I just declare a Special Occasion and use that stuff up. Light the candle, drink the wine, and if you crack a glass get a different one.