Archive for August, 2006:
My Life is My Message
Meredith at Sweetness and Light is hosting the first of many Loveliness Fairs to be held throughout the year. Elegant Simplicity in the Kitchen is the first installment and is shaping up to be a real treat. Now, my own kitchen is in need of renovating so I really didn’t think I would have anything to contribute until I read a definition of Elegant Simplicity that gave me pause.
“[Elegant] Simplicity means that the way we live our lives represents a work of unfolding artistry. As Gandhi said, ‘My life is my message.’ “
That definition really clicked with me. Our life, the way we live it, and the way others see and understand it, is a message - it’s our message to the world - and unless we are purposeful about it, we could be inadvertently sending a message we don’t intend.
So what does that have to do with my kitchen? Well, in reflecting on it further, I realized that despite its need of renovating, my kitchen, indeed my home, truly is part of the message of my life and its “work of unfolding artistry”. So I took a good look around and realized that maybe I did have something to share.
What does elegant simplicity in my kitchen look like? Practically speaking, it’s the plain white stoneware dishes chosen specifically for their simplicity, durability, and adaptability to holidays and seasons. It’s the plain white cabinets, counter tops, and walls not chosen specifically but already part of the kitchen when we “chose” this house. Truthfully, I haven’t liked them for some time now but I am looking at them differently lately and remembering how blessed we were to be able to buy this house, even with all its defects.
Elegant simplicity is the small but beautiful painting that hangs on the wall above my favorite teapots. Purchased at a yard sale several years ago for just a dollar, it gives me pleasure every time I look at it and brings beauty and color to the stark white walls around it. It’s the stool purchased many years ago (at least 20) that has been recovered countless times - and again just recently - that offers a comfortable perch to sip coffee or help mix a batch of cookies. It’s the curtains, handmade and hung with care, floating in the breeze adding color and loveliness with their gauzy flowery print. It’s the tiny plants on the windowsill, green and yellow, given to me by my mom when she moved recently, creeping over the edge of their pots and adding cheer in the way only a living thing can.
Yet. . . beyond the practical aspects, I had to wonder, what message does my kitchen convey? The fingerprints on the refrigerator and back door clearly show that children live here and the fact that those prints aren’t quickly wiped away hopefully sends the message that people, especially little people, are more important than keeping everything sparkling clean. The abundance of bread and baked goods on the counter top says that a big family lives here and that the generosity of a friend who owns a local bakery means we enjoy plenty. The teapot and cups say that friends are welcome and a fresh pot is only minutes away for whoever stops by to visit.
But most of all I hope my kitchen sends a message of peace and welcome, service and love. To my friends, yes, but particularly to my family. To my husband whom I love dearly and to our children who are positively precious to us. Filled with gratitude, I thank God every day for His abundant blessings and the small yet poignant message of elegant simplicity that causes me to reflect on what’s truly important.
[Stay tuned for more Loveliness Fairs throughout the year. I'll be hosting the
The Loveliness of Autumn October 2nd. Be sure to stop by!]
Subscribe to the comments for this postBook Meme
I’ve been tagged by Cay at Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks
Warning - my list is pretty boring!
1) THE BOOK THAT CHANGED YOUR LIFE: The Bible. OK that sounds so cliche but really - it’s the living word of God.
2) ONE BOOK YOU’VE READ MORE THAN ONCE: I Believe in Love by Jean Du Coeur De Jesus D’ Elbee
3) ONE BOOK YOU’D WANT ON A DESERT ISLAND: No specific tile in mind but certainly something with loads of survival information.
4) ONE BOOK THAT MADE YOU LAUGH: Please Don’t Drink the Holy Water by Susie Llyod
5) ONE BOOK THAT MADE YOU CRY: Can’t recall.
6) ONE BOOK THAT YOU WISH HAD BEEN WRITTEN: “How to be holy without even trying.”
7) ONE BOOK THAT YOU WISH HAD NEVER BEEN WRITTEN: Plenty I’m sure but one in particular comes to mind which I won’t name. Suffice it to say it’s lead millions astray.
ONE BOOK YOU’RE CURRENTLY READING: Transformation in Christ by Dietrich Von Hildebrand
9) ONE BOOK YOU’VE BEEN MEANING TO READ: Only one??
10) TAG FIVE OTHER BOOKLOVERS:
New Family Picture
Of course it’s only going to be current for another 3 months but here we all are.
Yes I can cook.
I just don’t really like to. But this is a favorite summer dinner here. Fresh tomatoes and peppers on homeade pizza. Easy, healthy and delicious!
Matty turns 2!
Saturday was Matthew’s 2nd birthday. My how time flies!
He liked the cake. . .
but he needed some help from big brother Kevin to blow out those candles!
