22 January 2011

Stewardship

Over the past year, I have given a lot of thought to the idea of Stewardship.  Specifically, stewardship in my own home and life.  Stewardship is taking care of the things given to you as if you were caring for them for someone else, and little by little, I think I'm getting the point.  The most recent reminder of this theme came on FB, where a friend posted a link to an article about a family who lives life for experiences, not consumption.  (Highly recommended, if you have time and energy to read it!)

http://www.sunset.com/home/natural-home/zero-waste-home-0111-00418000069984/page11.html

You know that scene on the movie 28 Days where the hilarious gay guy (Huzzah Alan Tudyk!) is asking when it is appropriate to resume a romantic relationship post-rehab?  The answer was given him that he should get a plant, and if it is still alive after a (long) period of time, to get a dog.  If the dog AND the plant is still alive after another painfully long interval, then he'd be ready for a relationship.  My thought to this: total BS.

I don't have a green thumb, and I care only enough about dogs on their own to say hello and give them back to their owners.  For me, the progression has gone the other way.  Being committed to relationships has made me want to take care of those things that are less important - and less catastrophic should they die.

Putting in the time and effort required of a committed relationship, whether it be to my husband, my children, other family members or close friends, I have learned that the smaller things can make relationships easier.  Keeping the house clean and organized helps keep my brain clean and organized.  And believe me, my poor brain needs all the help it can get these days!  Staying on top of meal planning and grocery shopping alleviates stress around meal times, promoting closer family and friend meals and more nutritious foods.  Using the things we already have instead of buying more. Taking care of the things we have so they last longer.  Taking care of myself so I last longer.  The list goes on...but I have found that my life is more pleasant and "easier" when I implement Stewardship.

Ok, enough of my novel.  Thank you for staying with me, if you have.  Hopefully, I will continue to foster this idea and continually put it into practice in new areas.

Any other ideas or areas in which Stewardship is applicable or necessary?



And for those who stayed with me, a little treat of my favorite jokes:

What is red and smells like blue paint?  Red paint!

A farmer woke up one morning and started to cook breakfast.  He threw a couple sausages into a frying pan. One sausage turned to the other and said, "Hey man, is it getting hot in here?".  To which the other sausage exclaimed, "Whoa!  A talking sausage!".

Have a great weekend, folks!

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