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When my mother died almost 16 years ago, this bottle of Joy perfume was one of her belongings that I knew I had to keep.

When I was little, she kept it in the refrigerator, and when I would ask her why, she would say that it was expensive, that she wanted it to last, and that it was for “special occasions.”

As you can see from the picture above, my mom never had the chance to use all of her Joy perfume although she had it for many, many years before she died at 53.

The perfume now has lost its signature scent but the bottle means so much to me and serves as a daily reminder to me to use what brings me joy each and every day.

None of our belongings should be so precious that we cannot use them for the simple happiness they bring us.

Maybe it’s your wedding china, or your great-grandma’s cake plate or a special piece of jewelry.  Whatever it is, use it as much as you can!  Celebrate the meaning behind the item by not hiding it or keeping it just for “special occasions.” Celebrate by sharing with your peeps on a normal day, the everyday.

I’d love to see what fills up your cup.  Maybe it will inspire us all too.

*I know that this post would have brought my mom a lot of joy to read and it brings me joy to write it too.  She was my first teacher and a yard sale queen.  She taught me everything I know.