“The best way to polish silver is to use it.”
That was one of the first lessons I learned four years ago
when I started working part-time at Angevine’s Fine Silver & Gifts, and as
someone who was getting a crash course on silver and flatware patterns, I
appreciated the simplicity of that lesson. It was something I could share while
maneuvering through the antique silver world: when a customer would come in to
buy silver polish but was complaining about having to polish their Christmas
silver, I could now say, “Well, you know what they say. The best way to polish
silver is to use it.”
Simple. Helpful. Useful. True. And that simple phrase is
pregnant with a life lesson.
Picture it. A pair of candlesticks, stored in a cupboard,
hidden away and slowly turning a brown that is not rust, but rather a thin
black layer of silver sulfide. All the shininess is lost, all the sparkle that
makes that item special is gone.
To be sure, the shininess still is there, but it is buried, and
the more time passes the harder it becomes to return it to its former shiny state.
It takes time to buff and polish and wash, and when the effort becomes too overwhelming,
the candlesticks are returned to the cupboard for next time. Except next
time gets postponed to another next time. And so it goes.
The best way to polish silver is to use it may be more elegant than saying use it or lose it, but the sentiment is
the same.
So here it is January, bringing with it resolutions and brand-new
beginnings riding on the coat tails of all the sparkle and shine from the
holidays, as well as a reminder of the paradox
that the only way to keep something in working form—so we can continue to use it!—is
simply to use it.
This is nothing new, nothing we do not already know, but somehow it is easily pushed aside.
Which brings me to my one-word resolution, something I do
every year. Just one word (or phrase) to provide focus, clarity, and direction
in the new year. In the past, I have chosen words such as spontaneity, embrace,
or pronto (“now” or “I am ready”).
But this year … this year my word is argento. The
Italian word for silver.
Argento. To remind me to use the silver.
Argento. To encourage me to exercise my body, nurture
my mind, explore my talents, grow in faith.
Argento. To remind me to stay polished.
