"Glitter" Is Everywhere (Part One)

A couple of years ago I took Lilly shopping for a Christmas dress.

We carefully perused all the racks and when Lilly laid eyes on a red tulle one she knew it was THE one! It was perfectly girly and foofy and sparkly -- covered in tiny flecks of silver glitter. She wore it all the time! It wasn't long before I noticed James' distaste for the dress. He'd mumble and grumble under his breath (never in front of her) whenever she wore it. Occasionally I would hear him mutter, "Oh man, that dress AGAIN...," or, "Not THAT dress…"

One night, after the kids were nestled safely in their beds, I decided to call him out on it.

"James," I said, with a hand on my hip, "what is the deal? How come you don't like Lilly's Christmas dress?!"

He smiled slowly and said, "I like it and it's pretty, and I'm glad she likes it . . . but . . . well . . . it leaves GLITTER EVERYWHERE!"

"What?," I asked, surprised. "What do you mean?"

"It leaves glitter on our couch, it leaves glitter on my suit coat, it leaves glitter all over the place. It drives me crazy!"

The funny thing about all of this is that I had never noticed. (I suppose it's because I figure everything in the world should be covered in glitter! Ha!) Or maybe it was because I was too busy, too distracted to see.

After James told me about the sparkling glitter trail, I made an effort to "look for it" whenever Lilly wore her dress. I wanted to see what he saw.

He was right! There was glitter everywhere! Glitter on our bedspread. Glitter on the bathroom floor. Glitter in the kitchen. Glitter on our faces. Glitter in the car. When I looked for it, glitter was everywhere.

All of that literal glitter sloughing off a Christmas dress -- that drove my husband bonkers -- got me thinking about the figurative stuff. What is the glitter? Exactly what IS the glitter in our lives, in womanhood, in motherhood?

It is the beauty and the good! It is the light and the shimmer and the shine in your everyday! Like a nice note from your neighbor. Or watching joy streak across your son's face as he rides his scooter. A verbal "thank you" for doing the dishes. A proud daughter who aced her spelling test. An elated, "Mommy!," or, "Grandma!" when you walk through the door. A sunny, Spring afternoon. Your favorite tune on the radio. Green, leafy trees and the smell of fresh cut grass. An icy cold Diet Coke. A hug from a friend. Picturesque landscape right outside your windows. It's all glitter.

One of my favorite verses of scripture comes from the Bible. In 1 Peter 3:10, a portion of the verse reads, "Love life, and see good days." See good days.

 

Sometimes I forget to "see good days." I forget to see the glitter, to truly look for it. It's easy to do, right?!  It's easier to focus on the messy house and the aching back and the naughty kids and the bills and the fatigue and the appointments and the stress and the overdue library books and the deadlines and the piles of laundry! And on and on and on . . .

But what would happen if we stopped?
If we stopped all the madness swirling around us long enough to really and truly relish a moment?

What glitter would we see?


(You can get my free printable of the "See Good Days" image here!)