Wednesday, February 2, 2011

May I Never Be Shiny

It may be an odd thing to admit, but fancy, shiny teapots frighten me. Their mere presence can make me uncomfortable and trigger feelings of unworthiness and insignificance. Their gleam beckons me to stare at them, but their apparent perfection warns me to stay away, be careful not to get to close…and touching is out of the question!

I find tarnished teapots more relatable. Don’t you? A tarnished teapot can beg me to come and visit from across a crowded room, for I wonder about its story - where it came from, what it has seen and done, who it has spent time with, how it has gotten to where it is now…and when it last shined.



I find I relate to people in a similar way, for I find shiny people cause me the same kind of anxiety as a shiny teapots do. I am referring to people who walk into rooms and immediately have all eyes on them. They have perfect smiles and wonderful laughs without a wrinkle as a witness. Their clothes are always fashionable and are never in need of an iron, and their hair looks like it was professionally done just minutes ago. There is no evidence of flaws to be seen by the naked eye. The shinier they are the more intimidated I am by them. I wouldn’t dream of approaching a shiny person without receiving a figurative engraved invitation of some sort…which would probably send me into a tizzy.

On the other hand, the people I am drawn to are the ones that have a indescribable beauty that glows from the inside, unrelated to their outward appearance. They have a twinkle in their eye, a warmth in their voice, an authenticity in their demeanor, and an unassuming joy that lights up the space around them. When I recognize those people I long to be friends with them, to have deep meaningful conversations with them, and learn about their story so I can figure out what makes them sparkle.

That is why I am proud to be a kin to a tarnished teapot. I’m curvy and even bit round presently, frequently blemished, often smudged…definitely far from flawless. But I have plenty of beauty to share even in my imperfect state. And ironically, yet thankfully, my tarnish might be the welcome sign that leads someone into a deep and meaningful conversation with me about why I shine in spite of, and even because of, my tarnished condition. For even though I am not a shiny person I have a light that sparkles in me, which longs for the freedom to spread out and be a light in the world. So I hope you will join me as I embark on the journey to expose my sparkle and share it with others. May I never be shiny, but may I learn to let my light shine.

Hugs & Smooches, Lisa Ann

1 comment:

  1. Hugs and Smooches to you too Miss Tarnished Tea Pot! But you know I don't see that tarnish when I look at you, the light within is brighter than the average sparkly person could ever possess!

    I love that you started a blog! I pray the Lord uses your words to spread even more of His light!

    Love your first post! And I got to be your first comment :) Yay!

    ReplyDelete

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