I’ve heard it said that the best things in life are free, and I’m starting to think that they might be right. Who are ‘they’ though? My mother references ‘them’ all the time. At the dinner table yesterday she started saying about how orange vegetables prevented cancer (my sister refuses to eat anything orange. You would think she was 12… she’s actually 23). “Who says?” enquired my sister. “Oh… they say!” replied Mum. I have visions of ‘they’ being a board of crones sitting around with their knitting, commenting on the lives of the rest of us and how we should go about them. Eat more vegetables / cover up your kidneys in the cold / get 8 hours sleep / drink 8 glasses of water a day…. They are so interfering!
Anyway, the best things in life are free. When did you last have the most fun? Was it at a music concert that you paid well over fifty quid for, or laughing with your friends till your jaw ached? Was it at the cinema or at the birthday party of your favourite four year old, watching her dancing with all her friends? I know that the times that I feel the happiest are when me and Emma are camped on the sofa discussing our day over a glass of wine, or feeding my darling Poppy a yoghurt and getting covered in it. I love cuddling up on the sofa and watching the TV, or simply just being with my sister and my Mum, drinking tea and giggling over jokes that we have had for years, like the fact that if you can hear my mother talking in another room it sounds like the clangers. Gone are the times where I will pay through my nose to get into a club or bar on new year’s; give me a quiet pub or a friends flat and people who I love and I will choose that any day.
As I get older I start to realise that it’s not about what you have or what you are doing, more about the people you surround yourself with and what you do for them. My darling Lou told me that she had the best night of the year at my house at the weekend, eating the three course birthday meal that I had cooked her, complete with comments from me…
“I’m so sorry that the onion soup looks like glue… I promise its nice!” or “the cheesecakes are cake-less because I forgot the biscuits, but I hope you like it!”
I am also starting to realise that it’s not about the destination, but the path that takes you there. It’s about stopping and taking in the sights on your way and appreciating the people standing behind you to catch you if you trip on an unsteady path, or fall and cut your knees in front of a load of builders on the way to somewhere posh.
Merry Christmas everyone.
Tinkerbelle 
Well said!
Good thoughts. Being with people we love is surely life’s greatest joy. And when we live into our vision every single day, the path can have as much joy as the destination.
Lovely post! Some people live their whole lives without discovering this simple truth.
Thanks so much for a great Christmas card Tinks! 🙂
Love ya!
Prenin.
Very well said! Hope you’re having a lovely Christmas time 🙂
Considering the ultimate destination, I always wonder why the heck people are so all fired up about getting there ..
I loved your comment about the sister/mother time. Those ‘in’ jokes that can get a snort, giggle or out right fit of laughter – that most people would so not get – are awesome.
Before my Mother died we’d sit and talk rubbish & laugh til we’d cry.. I miss the hell out of being able to do so now .. cherish them 🙂
“I am also starting to realise that it’s not about the destination, but the path that takes you there. It’s about stopping and taking in the sights on your way and appreciating the people standing behind you to catch you if you trip on an unsteady path, or fall and cut your knees in front of a load of builders on the way to somewhere posh.”
You are wise beyond your years
Heh, this old crone agrees… and seconds the mention on orange coloured foods. 😉
Yes it is! So very true. I hope you had a great holiday.
Wonderfully said. 🙂
Love the glue soup and cheesecake without biscuits. (by the way… you might want to keep that idea of the circle of crones to yourself. Telling everything you imagine might stir the cauldron.)
Meredith
The very best things in life are free… but having enough money makes it more likely that you’ll be able to enjoy them. In any case, you’re always a fun and insightful read, and Happy New Year in advance! 🙂
Very well said! Lovely thoughts.
Wonderful sentiments for the holiday season, and wise beyond your years! Have a wonderful holiday season! xx
I’m always asking my mother who these mysterious “they people” are she’s always quoting. Are they imbued with superintelligence and all knowing. Apparently she feels they are. Stuff is nice, but not soul filling. Well written.
Interesting insight! I’ve gained the same in the past two years. But I also like to fastforward to the future and see what has become of my life. Time to appreciate every single moment again, right?!