Eileen Goudge

Things that matter

There’s a line from a country western song that sums it up: Things that matter, things that don’t. I guess you could say that’s my philosophy on life. The older I get, the more I value what’s important to me – family, friends, work, the readers who write to say how much they enjoy my books, a perfect pie just out of the oven and the countless little things that make me smile and remind me the world is a good place overall.

Each year as my birthday approaches (mine is the one you can’t forget – I was a Yankee Doodle baby, born on the Fourth of July), my husband asks for gift ideas. It forces me to think hard about what I want or need, which in turns drives him crazy, because there is so little I want or need. We live in a smallish apartment and I have to think long and hard before adding anything that will take up space, even a new kitchen item. Buying me clothes is risky and I’ve declared a jewelry moratorium; at my age, I have acquired enough, and the older I get the less I like how it looks on my neck or hands. Books might seem a natural gift for an author, but that’s sort of a busman’s holiday, if you know what I mean. Besides, we generally buy our own books.

So…what’s a husband to do? Since I’m technologically-challenged, I told him I would LOVE for him to add more tunes to my iPod. A favorite old movie of mine, The Enchanted Cottage, that just came out on DVD, was also added to the wish list. And would he please, pretty please take me to a movie? That may not sound like a big deal, but it is when your husband is a film critic who sees half-a-dozen movies a week and who would almost rather go to the dentist to get his teeth cleaned than go to a movie theatre on his own time (though he’s perfectly happy to see them on DVD, in the comfort of our living room). He promised to take me to see Toy Story, his favorite of the recent offerings. So I think we’re covered for this year.

Past gifts that I cherish? One thing that makes me smile, every morning when I make myself a cup of tea, is the beautiful teapot my sister Patty made for me. She’s a talented artist and through the years has made many such pieces for me, as well as for others. They are among my most prized possessions. I think of her as I pour my tea from the pot she made and sip from the cup on which she did a rendering of my dog Heidi (now in doggie heaven). The things that matter are the things that come with a story—of a wonderful trip or momentous occasion—or that remind us of a special someone…or simply that we are loved.

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