“For the Soul”
I was shopping with my mother-in-law one afternoon. She was a small woman, slim and straight, who was in many ways a paragon. She sewed all her own clothes, painted and wallpapered the rooms of her house, kept her home spotlessly elegant at all times, and was a pillar of her church. My husband and I embarrassed her one day, arriving early at her home and finding her in paint-splattered chinos and blouse, hanging wallpaper from a stepladder. Immediately she came down from the ladder, greeted us, excused herself, and changed. She is the only person I’ve ever known who actually changed for dinner every day—out of her “housework” clothes and into a dress or skirt and stockings. She was practical and reserved and seldom given to displays of emotion…a true Victorian lady out of her time.
Well, as I said – Madelyn and I were shopping one afternoon just after Thanksgiving. My husband and I were not long married, and not long on funds either. We had made Christmas gifts for everyone in our families, and had stretched our shoestring long enough to travel to my in-laws for Thanksgiving. I rarely spent money, and never on frivolous things, having learned the art of self-denial through the reality of the budget. When required, I purchased only those things that were practical and necessary to buy.
But I did so love poinsettias! Of course, in the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, they were everywhere. Madelyn and I pushed our cart past a huge display of some of the loveliest poinsettias I’d seen. Without thinking, I stopped to admire them, and Madelyn paused with me. All poinsettias are beautiful of course, but I’ve always especially loved the red ones, and this display was tier upon tier of brilliant red flowers and berries, wrapped in red and green and gold foil. I admit it – my heart yearned for a poinsettia. And Madelyn saw my heart in my face. This very practical woman looked at me and suggested that I buy one for myself. Startled, I backed up, looked at her, and replied with shock that that simply wasn’t possible. They were expensive and our budget did not allow for such unnecessary things as poinsettias. Somewhere in there I’m sure I felt a bit virtuous in my self-denial.
For a long moment Madelyn looked at me. Then she said, very simply, “Sometimes you have to do something for your soul,” and plunked a poinsettia into my cart.
I stood stock-still, shocked by these words from a woman I considered the ultimate in practicality. Something for my soul…. Suddenly I realized that feeling virtuous in my self-denial simply didn’t hold a candle to the joy of doing some small thing– now and then - for my soul. Feeding my love for the beautiful was not wrong, and my mother-in-law gave me far more than a poinsettia that day. With understanding and affection she taught me a great lesson. God has given us so much beauty and wonder, and I think it must be ungracious not to enjoy it all – even at times to revel in it. Our spirits need to be fed as our bodies and minds need to be fed, and the occasional poinsettia (of any kind) is good for the soul.
Thank you, Madelyn.
I was shopping with my mother-in-law one afternoon. She was a small woman, slim and straight, who was in many ways a paragon. She sewed all her own clothes, painted and wallpapered the rooms of her house, kept her home spotlessly elegant at all times, and was a pillar of her church. My husband and I embarrassed her one day, arriving early at her home and finding her in paint-splattered chinos and blouse, hanging wallpaper from a stepladder. Immediately she came down from the ladder, greeted us, excused herself, and changed. She is the only person I’ve ever known who actually changed for dinner every day—out of her “housework” clothes and into a dress or skirt and stockings. She was practical and reserved and seldom given to displays of emotion…a true Victorian lady out of her time.
Well, as I said – Madelyn and I were shopping one afternoon just after Thanksgiving. My husband and I were not long married, and not long on funds either. We had made Christmas gifts for everyone in our families, and had stretched our shoestring long enough to travel to my in-laws for Thanksgiving. I rarely spent money, and never on frivolous things, having learned the art of self-denial through the reality of the budget. When required, I purchased only those things that were practical and necessary to buy.
But I did so love poinsettias! Of course, in the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, they were everywhere. Madelyn and I pushed our cart past a huge display of some of the loveliest poinsettias I’d seen. Without thinking, I stopped to admire them, and Madelyn paused with me. All poinsettias are beautiful of course, but I’ve always especially loved the red ones, and this display was tier upon tier of brilliant red flowers and berries, wrapped in red and green and gold foil. I admit it – my heart yearned for a poinsettia. And Madelyn saw my heart in my face. This very practical woman looked at me and suggested that I buy one for myself. Startled, I backed up, looked at her, and replied with shock that that simply wasn’t possible. They were expensive and our budget did not allow for such unnecessary things as poinsettias. Somewhere in there I’m sure I felt a bit virtuous in my self-denial.
For a long moment Madelyn looked at me. Then she said, very simply, “Sometimes you have to do something for your soul,” and plunked a poinsettia into my cart.
I stood stock-still, shocked by these words from a woman I considered the ultimate in practicality. Something for my soul…. Suddenly I realized that feeling virtuous in my self-denial simply didn’t hold a candle to the joy of doing some small thing– now and then - for my soul. Feeding my love for the beautiful was not wrong, and my mother-in-law gave me far more than a poinsettia that day. With understanding and affection she taught me a great lesson. God has given us so much beauty and wonder, and I think it must be ungracious not to enjoy it all – even at times to revel in it. Our spirits need to be fed as our bodies and minds need to be fed, and the occasional poinsettia (of any kind) is good for the soul.
Thank you, Madelyn.
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