I love those posts that advocate for using your best things instead of saving them for some imagined ‘special occasion’ that will never come. But I think something should be said for using special things even if you’re not using them for the purpose for which they were designed.
Over a decade ago, I made a girl I lived with a very crude origami flamingo for her birthday and, in return, she gave me a sheaf of the most beautiful, intricate, yūzen origami paper. I have never been very good at origami - certainly not good enough to be worthy to use this paper - so it has sat in a desk drawer, untouched, for twelve years.
A month ago, I removed the pack from the drawer; cut them into quarters; and now I use it to write letters from my child’s Tooth Fairy. And I watched as my child gasped in wonder and ran their little fingers so, so reverently over the embossed print and the gold leaf and folded it so, so carefully, and placed it in their Special Treasures Box
Use special things, yes. But don’t get hung up on using them 'properly’. Hang your best China teacups in the garden full of bird seed. Melt your candles down and give them to friends. Write on the back of the origami paper.
[id: tags saying “wait wait i wanna know where they plan on using their full name, why’d you cut it off”]
answer: THEIR WEDDING.
I can’t describe to you the emotion I would feel if I was hanging out with my friend Tim and he was like “hey we’ve been friends for a while now I want to show you something,” and he hands me his driver’s license, upon which I read “Optimus Prime Jones”
