Preparing for the Holidays: The Stains on my Tablecloths

“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.”  Eleanor Roosevelt

Today I hosted a lunch at my house, one of those fun moments when we get to know our friends a little better, share a meal and learn from our different perspectives.  As I was preparing for this event I browsed through my tablecloths and in the pile I saw one that my mother had given me, a beautiful one, embroidered, delicate.  You could have guessed it was brand new if it wasn't for the yellowish tint it had gotten over the years.  As I decided on another tablecloth, a more simple and modern one, I recalled my mom's was probably used only a couple of times and had spent its life tucked away afraid of being stained.

At that moment, I decided not to worry about the stains on my tablecloths, all of them are completely worth it (ok, almost all of them).  Each little stain I cannot wash away will remind me of a loved one, who sat at my table and is no longer with us.  I'll be reminded of a friend who came with a wonderful exotic dish to share.  I will think of the family who came for a #Thanksgiving dinner on a short notice and made our day as it gave us the reason to cook a proper holiday meal.   I even have a tiny hole in one of my tablecloth from my boys trying to start a sparkle with my centerpiece candle, and every time I see it I remember their faces when they were little.  All those moments are what life is all about.  And the friends I've made along this #expat #life have my full permission to mess up any of my tablecloths.  I welcome all future stains that will remind me of my time in Italy.

I use my nice dishes for my family and all my guests, because there is no sense of waiting for special occasions.  Life is only lived once, and it is full of messy moments, the moments that make one's memories.

As the holiday season approaches I wish you many many stains on your tablecloths.

Arrivederci,