Use the Good China

Holiday vibes are alive with Thanksgiving ready to crank up the heat on the season just a few days away.

I can feel the electricity of the holiday season. Can you?

To me it feels like bees on a hive, just vibrating their wings ready to take action.

But before you launch off, can I grab your attention for un momento?

There will be a lot going on this season from hosting family, hosting friends, baking cookies, swapping junk (I mean gifts), eating, drinking, and all the things to be merry.

You are going to be busy.

Very busy I predict. You will be running around grabbing deals on Black Friday while scooping up internet savings on Cyber Monday.

Your living room floor will, at some point, be complete with wrapping paper, bows, stickers, and tissue paper.

You ‘ll be mumbling a few curse words as you put up the fake tree and realize half the lights don’t work.

Your kitchen will be clocking OT hours as you whip up that fudge, those chocolate balls, mom’s mac-n-cheese recipe, the cheeseball, and every other recipe that you hold out on making until the calendar reads “holidays”.

Your TV will be a constant movie theater of Hallmark movies, Scrooge renditions from new and old, plus some classics like Charlie Brown.

Your car will blare Mariah Carey’s, All I Want For Christmas, so many times that your ears will start to ring.

Amidst all this madness and holiday chaos, one thing is certain.

You will be eating.

And drinking. To grandmaw’s house you go. And the neighbors. And the work holiday party. And the yoga Friendsgiving. And ….. I could go on forever baby! (name that movie)

It will be full on eat city. And I guarantee at least twice you will be hosting at your house, or the house of a close relative (I’m looking at you Thanksgiving and Christmas Day).

Will you promise me something?

Will you promise to use the dang china already?

All of it. The pretty flatware. The crystal goblets. The wedding china (yours or your hand-me-downs). The everything that you save for a special occasion.

If I could ever spot a special occasion from a distance away, it would be this time of year.

Don’t disrespect your holiday with the cheap $3.99 styrofoam plates. The ones that look like they belong at a school cafeteria with all their sectioned off compartments.

Come on now, we can do better than that.

Respect what this season is and use all those precious dishes that you won’t get rid of because you might use it “one day”.

Dear one, that day has arrived by way of the season.

Use the dang china already.

Jennifer Burnham