Good investment

I read someone's blog post recently that said something like, "In these tough economic times, we're all having to tighten our belts a little and cut down on spending, but one thing I refuse to do without is fresh flowers in the house every week."

As much as I, too, love to have fresh flowers around, I thought it was funny (and maybe a little socially tone-deaf) at the time, because honestly, if you can afford to "not do without" fresh flowers, how much "belt-tightening" are you really experiencing?

But . . . I do realize that we all prioritize things in our lives, and there's nothing wrong with spending money for what is important to us. Sam brings home flowers for me occasionally, and I also occasionally just get the urge to buy them at the grocery store and bring them home to make my own combinations. Usually I talk myself out of it, but this week I didn't, so I've had these lovely bouquets in my kitchen and living room to enjoy. Every time I see them, I smile. It's been particularly nice to have something fresh and cheerful to look at in the midst of all the gloomy grey world outside.

I also had some of my daffodils snap off in the wind, so I rescued them and put them inside in a vase, where they almost glow in the winter-y light of the windows. Beautiful.

Anyway, I don't know if I'd say I'm going to "refuse to do without" fresh flowers from now on. (Like the concept of "me time", the urge to indulge in something because "I deserve it!"---while probably okay in moderation---is likely something I should rein in, rather than increase.) But when I think about it, having flowers in the house IS something that often seems to increase my happiness and cheerfulness and I-like-being-here-ness disproportionately to the cost of purchasing them. So maybe they are worth a little extra money after all, sometimes. Maybe even more often than I realized.