Crystal Glasses

Recently, I had my mom’s Renewal Group over and we ended up having fruit salad from beautiful crystal glasses. I had gotten the glasses back home from a couple who had been married for 40+ years. The wife told me the story that she had to “get rid of them because she was afraid to use them….afraid she would break one. “ I told her about the Renewal Group that meets at my house and that how it would make the evening feel special. She smiled and was very pleased that I would be putting them to use.
So, after a warm bowl of soup and tackling the 2nd chapter in the book we are working through, it was so nice to sit around the table with these delicate crystal glasses filled with fresh fruit and vanilla yogurt. This morning, as I was making room for my new crystal treasures in my cabinet over the drain board, I realized that the set of glasses had only one missing member. There were 15 instead of 16 total. How interesting to me was the fact that this dear woman had put away her wedding crystal having just lost on one glass its members.
To me it was a testament to how we can be so hard on ourselves regarding the little things that don’t turn out as planned, that we can completely shut the door to what remains. In this case, the door was shut to using these beautiful glasses for Sunday dinners, graduations, anniversaries or just any time. It just wasn’t worth the risk. These crystal glasses stayed packed away in a box until finally they ended up in the “garage sale stack”.
So for me, I will be using the glasses. My plan is to set my table the night before school starts with my wedding china and my new crystal, even if a plate might be chipped. Because each moment I am truly present with those I love is a special occasion and worth the risk. Are you truly present in your life or living a story, filling your life or fulfilling it? Be forgiving of yourself and take a risk…..