The cabinet of life

I open my kitchen cabinet this morning. What do I see? I see a Pocahontas glass we got from Burger King at least ten years ago, so faded that only her long black hair is still visible if you look hard. I see a Seattle Seahawks glass, which was a gas station give-away twenty years ago when gas stations gave away things like that with a fill-up. I see a Crown Royal glass, courtesy of a gift box which paired Crown Royal and a glass together as a set. Alongside these glasses, there are many more...souvenirs of Brewery visits, events attended, and some summery plastic cups from Target that I bought just because they were bright and bold. My cabinet is a virtual hodge-podge of life.

When I was little, I remember telling my mom that when I grew up, everything in my house was going to match. I also remember her trying to tell me something to the effect of "it doesn't always work that way".

Sure, I could go out and buy all new glasses. There is something stopping me. All of these glasses tell a story and hold part of my past. I lived in Seattle for many years so the Seahawk glass is a reminder of the green and rainy coast that I miss so much. The Pocahontas glass takes me back to all of those trips to Burger King when my kids were small when I would watch them play in the "playplace" and pass the time as a single mom. I could go on and on with each glass and how it came to be in our cabinet.

I realize now that there is more to life than "making everything match". I would rather have my assorted glass collection,all with a story, than a beautifully matched set of glasses with no history.

My life is not always perfect, just like my cabinet. It is interesting and diverse, filled with heartache and happiness, struggles and victories. It is perfect for me.