33 years ago this summer, my college friends threw a small wedding shower for me in New Jersey, and one of them gave me this simple round wall clock. It's not fancy or expensive (we were all newly minted college graduates, and none of us had two pennies to rub together); it's made of plastic and runs on one AA battery. But it has been hanging in every home we've lived in since our December 1980 wedding, and it still keeps perfect time.
To me, this humble little brown clock symbolizes the fact that the things you have in your home don't have to be costly to be useful and effective--and that you don't need to toss something out, even if it's still working, just because you have a hankering for something new. I love that old New England saying: "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, do without." This clock has not worn out yet, and I plan to make it do until it does.
At this point, I'm so used to seeing its smiling face on the wall every day that I would actually be sad if it died on me. (Some people live for change; I live for keeping things exactly the same, forever!) That clock has been a loyal timekeeper for 33 years. May it continue to tick and tock for 33 more (and that goes for my husband and me, too)!
This is beautiful, Laura! I'm only 19, and I know what you mean... I have a silly looking stone elephant that a secret Santa gave me more years ago than I care to remember, and I still carry it around with me in my pocket. :) God bless you and your husband!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Iris.
DeleteI love when you switch it up and just blog on the simple realities of day to day life. Makes me pay more attention to the things around me that I can count on :) Love you.
ReplyDeleteI think perhaps I've been a little too obsessed with blog link-ups lately. Not that I'm never going to do them, but...sometimes I just like to ramble about random things.
DeleteAnd I love you, too!
DeleteAwww, I loved the story of your clock. Makes the clock even prettier.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jamie Jo. :)
DeleteI too love these short meditations, and have also been observing how easy it is to depend on linkups. Linkups are great but there are some things that won't fit well in any of them, and I'm glad that you gave us this one.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to wean myself a little from the link-ups, but I don't think I can go cold turkey. I kind of like the short meditations, too. I was simply changing the worn-out battery on this clock the other day and that got me thinking about how much sentimental value it had for me, and suddenly I had a blog post!
DeleteThis is such a sweet story! And those drawings on the wall next to it are very nice. Did a family member draw them for you?
ReplyDeleteThe drawings are by my very talented #4 son, who has a real knack for cartooning. I've showcased his drawings before, under the label "art."
DeleteAll five of my boys drew constantly as youngsters and they all have a good deal of artistic talent; but only sons #2 and #4 still do a lot of drawing as adults (#4 especially). Although my oldest son did produce those awesome character cakes for his daughters'birthdays, so I guess you could say he's still into art in a way.