Addicted To Aprons

I heard this cute story when I was a little girl, and I always wished I had a magic geranium of my own. The truth is, there was nothing magical about it. Karen simply found a way to enjoy the household chores she was putting off. Everything she used to dread, she was able to do joyfully once she changed her outlook. Now that I’m a “grown up,” I have found that a cute little apron is just as good as a magic geranium.

–Holly Harris

The Magic Geranium

Retold By Holly Harris

Karen was so busy with work, errands, and kids that she could never seem to find time to keep up with the house. She knew that the paint peeling off the walls looked terrible, and she would get to it someday. Right after she got a new dining room set to replace her grandmother’s mismatched table and chairs.

Then one Friday evening Karen’s husband Scott broke the news that his sister’s family was in town, and they would be making a surprise visit – tomorrow. Karen panicked! Not only was Scott’s sister beautiful and perfect, Karen was sure that she kept an immaculate home, too. There was no way Karen would be ready to host such intimidating company in just 24 hours.

Karen figured that at least she could get some fresh flowers to spruce up the dining room. She got up with the sunrise on Saturday and went to the market to buy some flowers. She came home with one bright, cheery, red geranium in a pot and put it on the table.

Unfortunately, the geranium was so vibrant that it emphasized the dull, chipped finish of the old table. Karen sighed. She couldn’t have that pretty flower sitting on such a beat-up piece of furniture. Maybe she could find a way to cover it up.

She rummaged through the disorganized linen closet until she pulled out a sparkling white tablecloth she had received as a wedding gift. It was still in the package, never opened. When she took it out and unfolded it, Karen was stunned to feel how fine and delicate the fabric was. What a shame that she had wasted it all these years!

After carefully ironing the tablecloth and smoothing it onto the table, Karen placed the geranium right in the center. It looked unfinished, so she dug out her barely-used fine china and silver, and set the table.

Standing back and looking at the table, Karen couldn’t believe how elegant it was! There was only one problem: the chairs. Though mismatched, the wooden chairs would be charming if only she could take the time to repaint them. The layers of paint were chipping and peeling so badly that all the various colors over the years were showing through. Next to the beautifully set table with the geranium centerpiece, the chairs were an eyesore.

By now, Karen was inspired. There was no time for paint to dry before tonight, but she could find another solution. Upstairs, Karen took the cover off her old dusty sewing machine and went to work. She used to enjoy sewing way back before the kids came along, and still had a large amount of a nice sage green fabric. She whipped up some simple covers for the dining room chairs and tied them in back with some white ribbon.

Karen was on a roll, and was just getting ready to paint the walls when she looked at the clock. She would have to wait on the paint, so instead she covered the shabbiest area of the wall with a large framed photo of her and Scott and their two sons. It looked so nice that she took a mirror off the wall in the bedroom and hung it on the opposite side of the dining room.

But when she looked into the mirror, she saw the most terrible sight of all . . . herself! She looked a fright after all her hard work. She quickly put the roast in the oven and ran upstairs to get in the shower. When she got out, she put on her best dress, fixed her hair and makeup, and followed the aroma of her delicious dinner down the stairs.

Admiring her handiwork, Karen couldn’t believe all she had accomplished. As she stood in the doorway of the dining room, she knew she was ready to be the perfect hostess. The table was set beautifully, the covered chairs looked extra special, and she herself was refreshed and happy.

And she owed it all to that cheery red geranium.