Yesterday I broke a vase. Simple little statement, or is it?
The vase in question was of purple glass, an antique, if anything over a hundred years old is an antique. It was one of the few things I had kept from the days when my late husband and I spent nearly every weekend either buying or selling antiques. Not greatly valuable, maybe worth about £70 or £80, but it was, in my view, beautiful.
Wednesday being one of my 'free' days I tend to clean, wash etc., in order to avoid exhaustion on the busier days, and for some reason I decided to wash all the glass on display in the house. (As opposed to the stuff fillings cupboards and cabinets). I reached for the vase - on a top shelf of course - knocked a more solid item over which hit the vase and sent it crashing to the ground.
Silence ! followed by a banshee wail of disbelief and then I burst into tears.
Having cried for a good ten minutes I got the dustpan and brush and dropped the late lamented beauty into a bag then into the bin, waiting for collection by the refuse collectors.
Next feeling shaken and wretched, I did what I never do, poured myself a large (very large) whisky and ginger. The first for about 12 months, and swigged it down in about two minutes.
About an hour later, when I could see straight, I looked at the gap where the vase had been and to my amazement, found myself heaving a sigh of relief that there was one less bit of clutter in the house to gather dust.
Every item we bought over a period of thirty years had been, for a time at least, the most beautiful thing we had ever seen. How then, has it all become just so much tat? Am I at last developing a sense of proportion so late in life, or perhaps at last what really matters is slowly filtering into my recently whisky-soaked brain.
So many emotions and all in one day, at least life is not too dull while I have the ability to demolish half the house in a moment, and then to laugh at my own antics.
Condolences on the vase, and congratulations on your newly realized liberation!
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for visiting over at LBT. :)
Condolences duly (gratefully) noted and the visit to LBT was of course due to the lure of the fabulous cat.
ReplyDeleteYou're right about us having too much clutter. We had to keep downsizing over the last 15 years, consequently we still have a bit too much, but it is hard to give away the memories that stick to the objects. Maybe a photo would do as a replacement, though I'm not sure. Sorry about the vase, it sounded lovely.
ReplyDeleteJust re-reading this two and a half years later and realise I never did reply to you Freda.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right about clutter, I have a museum-load waiting for the courage to get rid.
The vase was beautiful, but i have never missed it at all.
A lesson there I think