Taking a closer look...

Lately there has been a LOT of snow in Michigan which results in more time spent inside the house. This is when I take stock of what I would like to do in this coming year as well as cleaning, organizing, fixing and repairing.

As I was touching up knicks on my dining room table (which, by the way is not very old but sure requires a lot of 'touch ups') I was struck by the thought of how, from a distance my table looks beautiful. But when you get up close you see knicks in the wood, or a scratch here, and blemish there which means frequently required 'maintenance' to keep it looking nice. But, alas even though I touch it up and fix it up to try to keep it

looking new, it really just looks 'aged.' Now, mind you, 'aged' is not a bad look and certainly as I get older, I am looking a bit more 'aged' than I would like. But really being 'aged' is a sign of life well live or, in the case of furniture, a room well used. And isn't that what it is all about?

It is so easy to allow people to only see us from a distance and not get up close where the blemishes are visible. And, as we 'age' we have more and more fixed blemishes but, just like vintage furniture, fixed blemishes are a sign of a a wealth of wisdom gained along the way as we we travel this path of life.