Handed Down: Timeless Advice from Inside an Old Cupboard

My favorite possessions have a history, like the old, homemade, step-back cupboard given to me by my grandpa.   In 1901, my great- great- grandparents brought it with their family in a covered wagon from Missouri to Story, Wyoming, where they lived for a year before moving north to Montana.  Holes by one of the doors reveal that the hinges were moved to make it swing in the opposite way inside the wagon; the base held the family's food, and clothing and linens were stored in the top part.  Patches cut from Union Plug tobacco tins cover holes in the back. The cupboard was painted blue in the 1940's by my great grandmother, and I'm grateful it wasn't given to me during my furniture-refinishing phase, as I would have stripped off the beautiful, pale periwinkle paint. 

When we retrieved the cupboard from an outbuilding in Montana 22 years ago, it held more than quarts of motor oil on its shelves; tacked on the inside of the top door were lithographs of pretty scenes and brittle, yellowed newspaper clippings- one dated as early as 1935, placed there by my great- grandma many years ago. 

The 60-year-old article, where my Great-Grandma tacked it inside the old cupboard.

I never knew my great-grandma La Vora, who went by “Sadie.”  The fact that she painted every part of that cupboard-even the back- tells me she was diligent and thorough.  One of the clippings she tacked inside the door illustrates what she must have strived for as a person.  I share it because the advice is as applicable today -for everyone, not just women- as it was 60 years ago.

Written by syndicated columnist Ruth Millett in her "We the Women" column and clipped from an unknown newspaper (likely the Billings Gazette, The Sheridan Press or Hardin Herald) in late 1957 or early 1958, it reads as follows: 

For any woman 1958 will be a better year if---

She sets at least one major goal for herself so that she will be working toward some end, instead of just living through 365 more days.

She eliminates enough non-essential activity to enjoy the things she does and to appreciate some of the wonder and beauty of the world around her. 

She begins to act on the theory that today is much more important than tomorrow and that it is foolish to keep putting off until some future time the things she wants to do for herself and for others.

She makes up her mind that, since she can't change the persons she has to get along with either at home or at work, she won't let them annoy her to the point where they make her miserable. 

She learns to like whatever age she is, which isn't too difficult since all ages have their rewards as well as their problems. 

She sets her own pace and decides for herself what is important and what is unimportant instead of trying to keep up with the Joneses. 

She learns to laugh, easily and often, especially at herself and at minor "catastrophes." 

She doesn't make her work harder by dreading it, putting it off, complaining about it or telling herself she will never get it done. 

She sometimes stops to remind herself of all the reasons she has for being thankful.

Following my great grandma's example, I tack special cards and mementoes inside the doors of the primitive Hoosier-style cabinet I use as a dresser.  I enjoy them there daily, and they remind me of my priorities.  I hope we consider the timeless advice in this 60-year-old clipping as we go about living in 2018.