Photo by Norma Thatcher

I did some, ugh, let’s be honest—it was a LOT of—pre-Christmas cleaning in the past two weeks. One chore that is much easier to do with a helper is removing each item from the tops of the kitchen cabinets, washing it, drying it, and replacing it after the clean cabinet top has dried.

Going up and down the ladder, balancing prized possessions, many of them fragile, isn’t hard work. But it’s tedious, non-creative work and I feel my mind trying to convince me that my time could be better spent on something more interesting.

I try to focus on the joy of having a large kitchen, of being thankful for the loved ones who contributed many of the pieces, and for being healthy and flexible enough to do my own physical work. It works. Sometimes.

There’s one other item that is up for cleaning at the same time: a twelve-pointed beveled glass star that hangs over my kitchen island. I adore that star; it makes me feel happy just to gaze upon it as the afternoon sunlight shines through it and off its edges.

When I removed it from its hook, I was embarrassed to see how dusty it was. Clearly, I hadn’t taken the time to look up at it for a while.

My guess is that this type of inaction happens to most of us.

There it is, right in our midst: something or someone quite lovely…and we’re so used to seeing it, to having it in our presence, that we no longer make a conscious effort to notice it or appreciate it.

My daughter is one of the best gift givers. She pays attention to life and people’s conversations. Knowing how much my twelve-pointed star means to me, she recently gifted me with a smaller version made of beautifully hued glass panes.

Photo by Norma Thatcher

Without a beveled edge, this star doesn’t reflect light. Instead, the light passing through creates color shadows on my wall.

You may be a beveled edge person with light and hope brilliantly reflecting from you.

Or perhaps you’re a softer version whose life casts inspirational shadows on those in your life.

Whichever version you are, be sure to keep those glass panes clean.

We enjoy seeing the dust-free version of YOU.