Hurricane Dean – and my jewellry

Awaiting the arrival of Hurricane Dean to Jamaica, I decided that I would put the unscheduled “downtime” to good use by sorting out and cleaning my jewellery. This is a chore I had long neglected, and I figured that some mindless, manual labour would be perfect for taking my thoughts off the fury and power of nature raging outside.

As I sorted and cleaned, it occurred to me how much maintenance THINGS require. To keep jewellery lustrous and dazzling, one has to store it properly, clean it periodically and most importantly – wear it! This led to further reflection, for I realised that in the past year or so, I have probably worn only 5% of my jewellery. For example, in the past two weeks, I have worn the same earrings and bracelet every day! I attended three evening functions and wore the same earrings to all three! We humans are truly creatures of habit – here I have a collection of jewellery, and I wear the same pieces over and over.

We also don’t appreciate how much treasures we already have in our lives. Each piece of my jewellery has its own association – a particular event or experience, who gave it to me or the occasion when I purchased it. Each piece is treasured not just for its beauty but also the memories. Sorting through, I came upon lovely pieces that I had long forgotten. I realise that I already have more than my two ears, one neck, two wrists, 10 fingers and 10 toes can wear. I need no more! I just need to be aware of what I have. Using my jewellery (the other 95%) will require some deliberate effort to change my habits. Each day, I will need to do something different, deliberately and with intent choosing something that I have not worn for awhile.

And so it is in other spheres of our lives – it is not only things that require maintenance, relationships do as well. Lack of maintenance and poor habits are killers of relationships, for they make us insensitive and immune to changes in others, to the particular circumstances of their lives and to how we ourselves are changing. To keep our relationships with loved ones sparkling, we must invest time, effort and loving care and become very aware of the 5% that we practice 100% of the time – and the 95% that we hardly ever take notice of.

And so I muse, what other habits do I need to change? What other areas of my life need attention and maintenance? Where else am I automatically focusing on 5% and ignoring the other 95%? When we become aware of the fullness of what we already have, we will recognise just how fortunate and blessed we are. Opening our vistas to the unhabitual, the non-traditional, the unused and forgotten in our lives will reveal treasures beyond measure!