Reflections on Being Well-Loved

Hey there Insiders

Last week, while rummaging through my closet, I found a teddy bear that had been given to me as a baby. It had been a long time since I’d seen her. I don’t remember the name I once gave her, but I do recall she had a little dress—where it is now, I have no idea.

I thought to myself, “This bear has been well-loved.”

It occurred to me that I have not heard that term used to describe a mint baseball card, preserved in acrylic. Or of a vintage car restored to its original showroom glory. Or of an old book in a climate-controlled archive, its pages turned with gloved hands. I understand the instinct to preserve one-of-their-kind things, to increase their value or set them aside for future generations to admire. But looking at my old, worn bear, I thought about our vocations as saints – what would it mean to be described as well-loved? To be used up for the sake of those around?