Not having kids of my own, it can be fun for me to get to know the sons and daughters of friends of mine. One such daughter I’m thinking of is a young woman, still in school, not even yet twenty, in the midst of sorting out all the decisions that occur during those years. Given her stage in life, I was more than a tad surprised when I heard her asking her mother to give her a tea cup; a young woman with important life decisions on her plate, with lots of moves ahead of her, why would she covet ownership of a tea cup? Not a mug mind you, a traditional tea cup with matching saucer. 

A young woman wants a tea cup? Hmmm. What if I gave her one of mine? Would it mean the same to her as if her mother gave her the tea cup she was asking for? Or would my tea cup end up in the back of a cupboard and she’s too polite to pass it on to Goodwill?

I have a plethora of tea cups. Most of them are antiques from my grandmother and great-aunt’s Victorian/Edwardian lifestyle. Rarely do I actually drink tea out of them. I keep my favourites on a dressing table filled with various bits of jewelry, earrings dangling off the edges, necklaces trailing out. It all looks rather decadent. 

But how many tea cups do I actually need? I chose one from my collection that I thought this young woman might like. It has a black background similar to the one she wanted. I hesitated. What if it was not the type she wanted? What if it was too old fashioned?

The safer choice would be to just not bother, no? With these sorts of small acts it is so easy to just let it slide. Neither the young woman nor her mother would know that I ever considered the question. To give or not to give? Seriously, what was I risking? Why was I hesitating? Get over yourself.

I wrapped it in tissue paper, put it in a small bag and gave it to her with the caveat she was under no obligation to keep it if it was not to her taste. Which is a nice thing to say–I gave her an out, but really I was still hedging my bets. Such a small thing to get so tangled up in my mind. Good grief.

She was, of course, rather puzzled that I had brought her a gift. But when she reached into the bag, she literally shouted, “Aww, No Way!!” A huge hug followed. 

Her spontaneous and genuine response confirmed how foolish I had been to deliberate over such a small thing. Her shout made me laugh and her hug confirmed that my first instinct was right. Sometimes, the things our minds choose to waste time on…

Keep your joy.

P.S. There’s still time to register for the Stratford Book Launch;

Stratford; I am honoured to be a part of The Leonor Literati! Tickets can be purchased directly on their website, click here; The Leonor. April 28 at 7:00 p.m.

Posted every Sunday, unless it’s a holiday or summertime.

Contentment is for Cows: Short and sweet reflections on life’s complications.