lessons learned | Bead Happily Ever After

As Rich As Midas

Posted on November 4, 2012 by crystal

You don’t need me to tell you that, in this life, it’s easy to be complacent. We become very accustomed to all the little comforts that are part of our everyday experience, and for that reason – we hardly notice them.

Instead, our focus is often diverted to the minor annoyances we encounter, such as a traffic light that turns red just as we approach it, or a slow poke in the grocery store check-out line. We can be quick to frown if the take-out pizza is slightly over-done . . . or our favorite team is on a losing streak.

But every once in a while, we are yanked back to the reality of just how lucky we are, and how silly it is to ever be bothered by small stuff.

So it was for Sir Beads and me with Hurricane Sandy this week. Thank you all so very much for your concern. It was a tough few days but there are those who had (and continue to have) it so much worse than we did. My heart aches for them because the taste of trouble we experienced has given me a true understanding of their situation.

We were without power for 3 days. For us, that translates into no cooking, no lights, no water, and no heat. We had prepared as best we could but, believe me, when you are in the middle of a multi-day power outage, preparations can feel very inadequate.

After some dark and chilly days, the power returned. The sound of the heat rising through the pipes was literally music to our ears. We could once again have a steaming cup of tea and a blissfully hot shower. The cold that had settled into every corner of the house was slowly dissipating. Bathroom flushes would again be automatic with just the push of a lever – not accomplished by pouring buckets of water (from our previously filled bathtub) to trigger them. We had power again and were simply elated. As we looked around at the backup of laundry, dishes, and a refrigerator full of food that would have to be discarded – we were unfazed.

In short, going through the experience has left us feeling as rich as Midas.
And, this time, I think it will take a lot longer for us to drift away from fully appreciating our blessings . . .

Hugs for all and special prayers for those who are still in distress,

Saving Dollars . . . and Sense

Posted on January 20, 2009 by crystal

When I was a kid, I remember my grandmother telling me that she’d often find a twenty-dollar bill in a coat or purse she hadn’t used for a while. I was absolutely amazed to think anyone could have so much money that she could lose track of twenty-dollar bills! The truth is my grandmother wasn’t wealthy, she was just very good with money. She didn’t spend it frivolously; she kept track of household expenses on paper; and she firmly believed in saving some amount – no matter how small – every week.

“Even if it’s only a dollar”, she’d say. I can still hear her words.

As a pre-teen, I opened a small bank account with my babysitting money. This absolutely delighted my grandmother. With a twinkle in her eye, she’d periodically enquire as to how much I had in my account.

Every Tuesday, she took a bus across town to visit us. After each visit, as she’d be getting ready to leave, she’d take out her purse and count out the coins needed for her bus fare home. It was then that she’d give me and my siblings a bit of spending money – a ritual we always anticipated with glee! As she handed it to us, she’d ask: “Will you save this?”

Of course, we couldn’t always answer with a definite “yes”. Sometimes, candy or a comic book was awfully tempting, and she understood that, too!

These days, savings accounts don’t pay anything close to what they used to then, and it must be a lot harder to convince a kid that his allowance will grow with interest. But the principle of saving “something – no matter how small – every week” is certainly timeless.

I have a feeling my grandmother is smiling down on me as I type. . . she’s nodding in agreement. . . and, of course, she has that twinkle in her eye!

My turn to answer!

Posted on December 31, 2008 by crystal

It occurs to me that you may be wondering how I would answer some of the questions I’ve been asking all of you on the “Giveaway” posts! 🙂

Here’s my reply for . . .

“Describe your favorite teacher.”

I was very fortunate to have several great teachers (Some were nuns!), but my favorite was an English teacher during my sophomore year in high school when I was 15 years old. She was the classic prim and proper lady schoolteacher. She dressed in matronly, out-of-style outfits – overly long skirts and drab-colored dresses. Her shoes were sensible (grandmotherly!) with shoelaces and thick, low heels. This was during the era of the mini skirt and go-go boots, so she seemed desperately out of place. She was probably only in her mid-30’s at the time. Even as a kid, I felt sympathy for the constant teasing that she took (behind her back of course) regarding her nerdy appearance.

However, Miss Dillon’s eyes actually gleamed whenever she read poetry, or passages from great literature. Her voice was almost breathless, as she encouraged us to see the beauty in a phrase or a paragraph that we were studying. Her enthusiasm was absolutely infectious!!

I do believe it was Miss Dillon who most influenced my taste in literature and my love for poetry. And she unknowingly opened my eyes to a very valuable life lesson. After taking her class, I never again judged anyone on appearance alone.