May 17, 2009

Band Aids

I liberally apply band aids to all aspects of life. Metaphorically they can be considered a temporary solution to a problem and realistically they can protect and cover up a wound until it has healed.

My house is covered in band aids. When my husband and I bought this house the only band aid that had been applied by the previous owner was a hastily splashed on coat of eggshell paint from top to bottom. They stopped at the oak woodwork. Thankfully. I perused decorating magazines and lusted after perfect kitchens and pale blue and white bathroom sanctuaries. Our bank account did not support my ideas. Hence the temporary decorator's band aid, applied to areas that need to be repaired, replaced, or just plain ugly. Just plain ugly are two bright orange armless upholstered chairs that make a perfect window seat in the dormer of the master bedroom. Draped with one of my grandmother's quilts and some pretty pillows and no one knows their hideous secret. An added bonus is that I can hide an Imelda Marco's shoe collection underneath. A few well placed old fashioned advertisements for Campbell's Soup in my kitchen cover up some cracks in the plaster. I'm getting good at this, but have many more band aids to apply.


When it comes to passing out the band aids that cover up the bumps and bangs that life hands out, I try to be careful, but I do use them. The comfort that kisses and band aids bring to a small child that has a skinned knee is different than a broken heart or an frustrated soul. A distraction is the best kind of first aid when worries or sadness threaten to take over every thought. When my daughter's first boyfriend broke up with her I pulled a trip to the mall out of my first aid box and by the time we hit the second shop she was ready to forget him.

Band aids do not work for everything. My porch needs surgery and it will just have to wait. All the pretty plants I have placed around the crumbling bricks do not cover up that it really needs a major face lift. And when my husband was dying of cancer there wasn't a temporary fix in my first aid box. We just had to let those wounds stay open to the air and wait for the scar tissue.

1 comment:

  1. Waiting .....in anticipation for your next blog entry.....

    ReplyDelete