From my Table

I

have a really pretty set of wine glasses in a soft, forest-colored glass that I picked up at the dollar store once. As I put 12 of them (too few, unfortunately) into my cart, I remember thinking, No one in this store realizes how pretty these are.

I have a pang of regret every time one of those $1 glasses break, not because of their cost, of course, but rather because the more that break, the less of a set I have, and the less I can use it when setting a beautiful Shabbos or Yom Tov table. Dear dollar store, please stock those glasses again.

At the same time, I’m struck by my own ridiculous sentimentality toward something that is so inexpensive. The newlywed version of me laughs at those glasses. The intrinsically valuable and high quality tableware I got as a kallah is over a decade out of style, but it epitomizes Shabbos to me, despite the trendier options.

These days, it’s relatively affordable to “upgrade.” I mean, a $12 set of glasses! The trends change so quickly, and it’s so enticing to get something new that feels fresh and up-to-date. And in the land of overwhelmed superwomen, it’s so easy to click on a few links and have one less thing to think about. But sometimes I think that the affordability and accessibility of it all might be perpetuating a never-ending superficiality that can be hard to resist.