Life Lessons From Linens

This is a series of 31 posts dedicated to life lessons I’ve learned (or been reminded of) while working with vintage linens. With a few exceptions, most of the month’s posts will be “quick reads” intended to inspire, encourage, or challenge each of us to pay attention to some of the things (if you’re like me) too often ignored. As you read this random-order series, I hope you’ll leave comments and expand upon my thoughts–or add life lessons of your own that may come to mind.

I’ll add each day’s Life Lesson to the list as it’s posted.

1. Sunshine is a gift!  (Scroll below this list to see the post.)
2. Some things simply have to be experienced; no explanation necessary.
3. Try new things; don’t get in a rut!
4. Think outside the box
5. Live Today as you want to be remembered Tomorrow
6. Heritage matters
7. Persistence pays off
8. Look for the beauty in every season of life
9. Time spent organizing beats chaos
10. Remember to have fun!
11. We learn about Life when we look beyond ourselves
12. Sometimes we give up too easily
13. Wishing doesn’t make it so
14. “Imperfect” is okay
15. Practice and Patience make a great team
16. Never pass up a teachable moment
17. There’s more to every person than meets the eye; slow down and look!
18. Memories–good and bad–are worth holding on to
19. Beauty really is in the eye of the beholder
20. Life is not all black and white
21. Never stop learning
22. If you say it, own it!
23. People are important; everyone matters!
24. Good manners are always in style
25. Be versatile
26. Use time wisely
27. Nothing is insignificant
28. Accumulation is a choice
29. There’s a cure for a restless heart
30. Don’t trade Today for Someday
31. When you reach a point of no return, accept it

Life Lesson #1:  Sunshine is a gift!

With Winter quickly approaching, it seems like a good time to stop and express gratitude for the gift of sunshine.

The sun does not shine for a few trees and flowers,
but for the wide world’s joy.

~Henry Ward Beecher

The benefits of sunshine for our overall health are well documented, but did you know that your linens can benefit from getting a few rays, too?  They can–even on partly cloudy days.

Unless linens are very fragile, a bit of fresh air and sunshine won’t hurt them at all! In fact, sunlight is a natural bleach, so after a few hours in the sunlight, some light-colored stains just disappear. Colored fabrics often fade, so use common sense–and check out the Drying post from my How to Care for Vintage Linens & Lace series for more about sunshine and linens.

So this morning, with this “sunshine” post on my mind (and no cars behind me), I couldn’t help but smile–and reach for my phone–when I saw this…

Even through a dirty windshield, I recognized it for what it was: the gift of a new day full of all sorts of possibilities.

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. (Genesis 1:3-5)

When’s the last time you felt the smile of sunshine?

I’m joining the 31-day Challenge at Nesting Place…where bloggers write for 31 days about “whatever floats their boat.” This year there are categories to make it easier to choose what you want to read about.  Enjoy!

Related posts:

There are vintage linens I DON’T like… *Gasp!* Unexpected change in life direction? Life Cycle of a Damask Tablecloth Figural linens told me: People matter!