I have a memory of my mother kneeling in front of a cabinet in

In this deeply moving reflection, Roma Downey speaks of a memory etched in her soul: her mother, kneeling before a cabinet, tenderly cradling her wedding china. These beautiful plates, symbols of hope and celebration, were never used, never allowed to fulfill their purpose. Her mother’s early death, passing away in her 40s, turned those plates into relics of unfulfilled joy. From this moment of sorrow, Roma draws a vow for her own life — to use her precious items, to embrace life rather than preserve it behind glass.

The wedding china is more than mere dishes; it represents dreams deferred and the fragility of human existence. Many people save their finest things for “someday” — a day of perfect circumstances that may never arrive. Roma’s mother, like countless others, kept her treasures hidden, thinking they were too precious for ordinary life. But in doing so, she denied herself the simple pleasure they were meant to bring. Her passing left behind a silent lesson: that beauty unused becomes sorrow, and that joy delayed is often joy lost.

This story mirrors ancient truths. In the Roman Empire, philosophers like Seneca taught of memento mori — the reminder of death — urging people to live fully in the present. They understood that life is fragile, and that waiting for a perfect future is folly, for tomorrow is never promised. Similarly, medieval kings would sometimes feast from golden goblets during times of plague, not to flaunt wealth, but to honor the fleeting nature of existence by embracing it with gratitude and courage. Roma’s decision to use her treasures now carries the same spirit of defiance against time’s uncertainties.

There is also a message here about generational wisdom. Roma’s mother taught her two lessons: one spoken through action, the other through silence. Though her mother never declared her regret, Roma perceived it in the untouched plates and vowed to live differently. In this way, even sorrow becomes a teacher, passing down wisdom to the next generation. It is a reminder that we are all links in a chain, shaping the choices of those who come after us through the stories we leave behind.

Thus, Roma’s words are a call to live fully and without hesitation. Do not save your finest joys for some distant day that may never come. Use the wedding china. Wear the treasured dress. Speak the words of love you have kept hidden. For the true tragedy is not in the breaking of a fragile plate, but in a life where beauty remains locked away, never tasted, never shared. Let your days be a banquet of courage and delight, so that when the end comes, nothing remains unlived, and no treasure lies silent behind closed doors.