taking care of some things....
Today is our ten year anniversary. Thanks to dear dear friends we get to have a getaway tomorrow but something fun for today is that we are having a family birthday party. We started this a couple of years ago when we couldn't find a babysitter and realized that it's a celebration for our kids as well. So now it's a tradition. That first year it was yummy Mexican food, fresh-squeezed lemonade and chocolate cake. Tonight we will have raised waffles while watching the Shaggy Dog. (The older your kids get, the less your votes count.) I actually am really looking forward to this.
And I am also thinking about how we throw stuff away so easily in this world. It's cheaper to buy a new blender than get it fixed, if it's the $30-50 variety. (I know because I've gone through three in ten years). But there's been a disconnect because somehow this has translated into throwing out things that we should be slaving away to keep. Yesterday, when a random salesperson found out I had been married for ten years she said "you're still married after ten years?". Her tone was a mixture of disgust and disbelief so I decided to egg her on "Yeah, and we have four kids." She really couldn't believe this and said "You have four kids and you're still married?" It was quite sad and it reminded me of a quote in Natalie Goldberg's book The Long Quiet Highway that I love. She quotes from Zen master Katagiri Roshi "When you take care of something, it lives a long time." This is true. In our society we are taking care of the wrong things and they are lasting but who gives a rip? Think how well people take care of their toenails and feet with pedicures, fancy foot scrubs, and lotions (don't get me wrong, I love this particular mode of pampering) but never find the time to truly nurture their children or spouse with the same intensity or energy.
Willa Cather wrote "Where there is great love there are always miracles." Maybe the miracle with great love is that something that should have--or at least could have--broken or died, didn't. It could have been trashed for a new one but instead someone or some people took care of it and it's still here. Isn't that thrilling? It's like the Fountain of Something--we can really make things last longer. Taking care of things that we love is of course exhausting at points but more rewarding than anything. I declare that we all need to work harder at taking care of things or they will not last. Hey Alby, are you in? I know you are. Me too.
And I am also thinking about how we throw stuff away so easily in this world. It's cheaper to buy a new blender than get it fixed, if it's the $30-50 variety. (I know because I've gone through three in ten years). But there's been a disconnect because somehow this has translated into throwing out things that we should be slaving away to keep. Yesterday, when a random salesperson found out I had been married for ten years she said "you're still married after ten years?". Her tone was a mixture of disgust and disbelief so I decided to egg her on "Yeah, and we have four kids." She really couldn't believe this and said "You have four kids and you're still married?" It was quite sad and it reminded me of a quote in Natalie Goldberg's book The Long Quiet Highway that I love. She quotes from Zen master Katagiri Roshi "When you take care of something, it lives a long time." This is true. In our society we are taking care of the wrong things and they are lasting but who gives a rip? Think how well people take care of their toenails and feet with pedicures, fancy foot scrubs, and lotions (don't get me wrong, I love this particular mode of pampering) but never find the time to truly nurture their children or spouse with the same intensity or energy.
Willa Cather wrote "Where there is great love there are always miracles." Maybe the miracle with great love is that something that should have--or at least could have--broken or died, didn't. It could have been trashed for a new one but instead someone or some people took care of it and it's still here. Isn't that thrilling? It's like the Fountain of Something--we can really make things last longer. Taking care of things that we love is of course exhausting at points but more rewarding than anything. I declare that we all need to work harder at taking care of things or they will not last. Hey Alby, are you in? I know you are. Me too.
posted by Susannah at 11:01 AM
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