Beautiful and Useful

"If there be a Golden Rule let it be this: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful."

-William Morris

       My dear Friend Maya brought this quote into my life. It has been my packing philosophy and personal mantra. As I pack boxes, I repeat to my self, "Beautiful or useful. Beautiful or useful." It has benefited both me and the local thrift shop that is a recipient of my "gently used/ no longer beautiful or useful to me" goods. 

I love this quote.  I'm trying dearly to live by it right now.  This is the perfect time for me to evaluate what I truly find useful/ beautiful.  If it is not, I send it on its way.  This is usually easy... sheets that I no longer use, sweaters I never really wear anymore, candles I probably won't burn.  But then there are the harder things.  Sentimental things.  Clothes that I wish I would wear more.  School supplies.  I am having a really hard time letting go of school supplies; Rulers, pens, hi-lighters, scissors.  It's not like I don't already have plenty of these, it is just that the teacher in me KNOWS somewhere there is a student who needs them.  It is the "Be Prepared" rule of teaching.  I'm prepared, I have them.  Its is an innate teacher behavior, nesting of sorts.  You can take the teacher out of the classroom, but you can't take the classroom out of the teacher.