Gentle Kindness And Tender Mercies

 

I want to thank dear Tracey, for letting me share her post on my blog. I have all of Tracey's books and I remember when I first read this story and was soo touched by it. I read it to the girls this morning and they were touched by it too. Thank you so much Tracey for being so generous with all of us xoxo

 

 

 

Gentle Kindnesses and Tender Mercies

"I pray Heaven to bestow the best of blessing on this house...."
--John Adams

I once heard a story about an immigrant family who, after arriving in this country, owned virtually nothing but the clothes on their backs. They were living in a tiny shack that had stood empty for years. When a group of charity workers came by with food for this family, they were startled by what they found inside the shack.

The first thing they noticed when the door was opened to them was the old wooden floor--it was scrubbed clean and gleaming from a wood wax. The smell of apples and cinnamon wafted through the air from a simmering pot set upon a circle of coals on the hearth. A gentle fire crackled in the river-rock fireplace.

A large round table, in the center of the one room, was covered with a floor-length cloth of dark-green-and-white-checked gingham. (They later discovered the table was an over sized spool discarded by a cable company.) The windows were clean and framed by simple curtains, made from the same green-and-white-check fabric as the tablecloth. They hung, not from metal rods, but from thin branches of a willow tree.


"....let us face the tasks of living with joy and embellish ordinary days with comfort, beauty, and a renewed faith in the fact that the most precious things in this life are those things that no amount of money can buy."


The most amazing thing of all was an evergreen garland that graced the chipped plaster walls. It was composed of ordinary items from the local woods. Boughs of evergreen and pine cones were tied onto a length of heavy twine with torn strips of the same gingham fabric. it was looped into swags and hung just under the ceiling. It looked for all the world like an expensive wallpaper border. The ladies from the aid society were asked to sit down on what looked like a small backless sofa with bright red cushions. In truth, it was a series of wooden fruit crates, draped in a loosely fitted slipcover made of the same green-and-white gingham. The lady of the house graciously offered a drink of fresh water to her visitors, while thanking them for their generous gifts to her family.

Perhaps this is an extreme example, yet it beautifully illustrates the philosophy of frugal luxuries. With this attitude in mind, let us face the tasks of living with joy and embellish ordinary days with comfort, beauty, and a renewed faith in the fact that the most precious things in this life are those things that no amount of money can buy.


Excerpt Above From: Frugal Luxuries: Simple Pleasures to Enhance Your Life and Comfort Your Soul, by Tracey McBride, 1996
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Comments

[Mica]

This is wonderful.... I myself do with what I have to make my place comfy, and homey...you don't have to have all that expensive furnishings to make a house a beautiful home. the simplest touches are warm hearted. Thank you for sharing this too! Hugs

[Tracey McBride]

Thank you right back Clarice, for being so generous with your ideas, thoughts, and knowledge. I always take away something of value after a visit to your blogs. It's just a guess, but I believe that to share our knowledge, tips, tricks, and ideas for the "gentle kindnesses and tender mercies" is just how things should work amongst us mortals.
Love from your friend,
Traceyxox

[Gumbo Lily]

Amen!
What a special story to remind us of how important it is to make our humble homes into places of beauty and rest and peace.

Thanks,
Jody

[Matty]

So lovely and so inspiring. Makes me ashamed of my over abundance and often self-centered self. You are a blessing!

[The Pleasures of Homemaking]

I remember this lovely story well. I've always loved Tracey's books (as a matter of fact I'm giving a way one on Saturday).

Manuela

[Marqueta]

Dear Clarice,

What a beautiful story! And now I have more books to add to my wish list :) !

Love,

Marqueta

[Brenda Leyland]

Hello.... Kindred Spirit?

I so enjoyed your posting today. My first time visit and glad I 'found' your site.

I too enjoy Tracey's book "Frugal Luxuries". I look forward to future visits.

Brenda

[Gina]

Thank you so much for this post! It makes one stop and think. Really think....beautiful, touching story.

[Renee]

I have the picture in my mind of this little home.....
For me part of the beauty is the simplicity. I strive for this but seem to fall short. Some would say I romanticize simplicity but my whole being feels at peace when I'm not surrounded by "stuff", even when it is all in it's proper place.
Clarice, thanks for the story. I'm just still searching for a way to not have "stuff".
Your love for "home" is beautiful!

[Jill]

Oh, I really liked this!