Whimsy & Tea | Handwoven Tea Towels

weaving beauty into your everyday

  • HOME
  • ABOUT MARILYN
    • Meet Marilyn
    • In the media
    • Environmental stewardship
  • HANDWOVEN GOODS
    • Kitchen towels
    • Table napkins
    • Custom orders
    • About colorgrown cotton
    • Laundering
    • A word about color
    • My guarantee
  • EVENTS
  • e-WHIMSY
    • Whimsy-grams
    • Whimsy-watch
  • BLOG
    • Making cloth
    • Thoughts on beauty
    • Life’s lessons at the loom
    • More than a dog walk
    • Customer stories
    • Recent posts
  • CONTACT
  • SHOP ONLINE

Beauty is not a luxury

October 1, 2011 By Marilyn Webster Leave a Comment

The other Sunday I had a lovely massage. As I sat in the waiting area with a warm neck wrap and a cup of mint chamomile tea, I started to unwind and wondered why it had taken me so long to make this appointment.

This massage was a gift, and I had been delighted when the gift certificate arrived in the mail. All I had to do was schedule an appointment and then show up. Yet, here it was months later, and I was finally about to enjoy the present.

I am no stranger to massages. There was a period in my life when I received regular massages so I know how wonderful and beneficial they can be. So why did it take me so long to schedule this one?

I realized that it was a matter of making the time for the massage. I needed to set aside almost two hours — one hour for the massage, 40 minutes for travel. But I’ve easily spent more than two hours on many other activities, so it wasn’t just a matter of the time.

The truth is I struggled to make the time because this massage felt like a luxury, rather than a necessity. Sure, my shoulders were tight and my neck a bit sore, but I found those uncomfortable and annoying rather than painful. Since I wasn’t in great pain, I didn’t really “need” the massage.

Immediately, I thought about all the people who say my towels are too beautiful to use and I got a deeper understanding of how beauty can feel like a luxury. Given that a kitchen towel, by its very nature, is likely to get dirty, possibly even stained, buying and using a handwoven one can feel indulgent.

I know from the people who use my towels that they experience joy and delight when they use one, so much so that they stop using their other kitchen towels. Part of that joy and delight is the tactile quality of the towel. Part of it is that they’d said yes to using something beautiful in an everyday way and the benefits of that are greater than they realize.

It’s so easy to underestimate the value of the things we consider luxuries.

I left the spa feeling relaxed, rejuvenated. Part of that was the massage itself and I’m certain that the physical benefits are greater than I know. Part of it was that I’d made the time and said yes to this treat. As a result something shifted inside me, something that will make it easier to schedule the next massage and easier to be open to other luxuries.

My invitation to you: Is there something you’ve been wanting to do or buy for yourself, but haven’t because you think it’s a luxury? What would it feel like to allow yourself that luxury? I’d love to hear about it.

Share this:

  • Email
  • Tweet

Related posts:

  1. An experiment with beauty
  2. Where is beauty when it hurts?
  3. Less is more
  4. Painting the house as a form of self care
  5. Investing in yourself: Necessity or luxury?

Filed Under: Beauty, Self-care

Join the conversation Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Whimsy-watch

I’ve recently pressed pause on Whimsy-watch, a subscriber-only email with new product news.

 

You’re still invited to subscribe …

 

You’ll hear from me in your inbox when Whimsy-watch returns.

You can read my privacy policy here.

Popular Whimsy & Tea posts

  • In praise of slow weaving
  • But it’s too beautiful to use!
  • The sound before the sound
  • Enough
  • Weaving the Gulf Shores towels
  • Replenishing a tired spirit
  • Honoring the ordinary

Read my newest stories

All new writing – whether it’s about weaving, walking or something else that wants to be written – is at WalksWithAsha.com, a blog that’s also a podcast.

Read new stories

Copyright © 2021 Marilyn Webster | Whimsy & Tea | Conway, MA | Contact | 413 - 369 - 4713 | All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy

  • HOME
  • ABOUT MARILYN
    ▼
    • Meet Marilyn
    • In the media
    • Environmental stewardship
  • HANDWOVEN GOODS
    ▼
    • Kitchen towels
    • Table napkins
    • Custom orders
    • About colorgrown cotton
    • Laundering
    • A word about color
    • My guarantee
  • EVENTS
  • e-WHIMSY
    ▼
    • Whimsy-grams
    • Whimsy-watch
  • BLOG
    ▼
    • Making cloth
    • Thoughts on beauty
    • Life’s lessons at the loom
    • More than a dog walk
    • Customer stories
    • Recent posts
  • CONTACT
  • SHOP ONLINE
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.