Life has intruded lately on creative endeavors and that’s ok. The Husband works all next weekend, so photography will happen then. And tonight I sifted through boxes of yard sale jewelry and am I ever inspired! It should be a inventive week!
But for now, a few words on being gracious.
It’s been years since I’ve heard Whoopie Goldberg’s first album so I don’t remember the exact circumstances of her take on graciousness but I know that it’s had a lasting effect on me. In her act, she was imploring people to be gracious to one another. She was raucous and profane and hysterically funny.
But I think of that one word and the way she said it ~ Graciousness ~ whenever someone compliments me, because my knee jerk reaction is to kick my instep and say, Aw shucks. But graciousness makes me thank them with my head high and my instep intact. I also think of that word when I’m dealing with someone who needs my help but is making it very, nay, extremely hard to do so. Graciousness makes me take a deep breath and keep trying, instead of strangling them or slamming down the phone (is anyone else disappointed that a cell phone can’t be slammed in someone’s ear?).
Graciousness also allows me to disregard little errors people make when they’re talking that don‘t really matter, let someone go ahead of me when the 12 items or less line is a mile long and they only have three things and hold the door for someone slower or disabled when they were so far behind me it wouldn’t have been rude to move on.
This line of thought came about when I found this quote recently attributed to Elsie de Wolfe:
Be pretty if you can,
Be witty if you must,
But be gracious if it kills you!
www.bearchickart.etsy.com
www.bearchick.artfire.com
1 comment:
What a well-written, generous, and thought-provoking essay this is! I heartily agree and thank you for your timely reflections.
I also love the necklaces in your previous post. Each of your pieces is unique--you have a perfect feel for color, texture and material to combine for lovely jewelry.
Post a Comment