Okay, I gotta say this nuance aloud, though maybe everyone already understood it.
When people discuss the importance of using things, such as special plates, candles, special clothes- they will say that it's best to use them all the time, and that this makes each day special or something like that.
Which is only part of the picture if you ask me.
It's good not to hoard things forever, but if you use everything all the time, it also leaves certain special times as kind of indistinct from anything else. Like having a Christmas tree up all year kind of takes something away from it.
So here's my rephrasing: special things should have a concrete time of use, not an abstract one.
If you have an outfit you love but have it dedicated to only wear once a year on a specific day? Totally fine! You are using it, and it is contributing something to your life.
If you have plates that you'll only use 'for a special occasion' but haven't touched them in years? Evidently you don't know how to recognize a special occasion and should try and think of more specific qualifiers.
Some nice things make every day special, and others make certain times unique. It doesn't have to be one or the other, there's also joy in restraint. You just have to make sure perfectionism isn't slipping into how you use the ones that are only for some of the time.
