April 7, 2014 - Written by: Yazmin Joy

Bye Bye Princess: The Law of Sacrifice

When I was a baby my parents had nothing. All their belongings were in a couple of bin liners and we lived in a run-down house with no carpet in a dodgy neighborhood. My Dad worked around the clock to support my Mum, who was taking care of me at home. They were very young and I had been an unexpected bundle of Joy! (They literally called me Joy. Maharr!)

The reason why I’m telling you this is because I want to talk about sacrifice.

My Dad’s Drum-Kit

At that time, you see, my dad used to love playing the drums. It was his passion and it was his dream to be a drummer. He was bloody good at it too!

When he was sixteen, he asked his dad to lend him the money so he could buy a drum-kit. His dad said no. So he put on a shirt and tie and went to the bank. Sixteen!! He got a loan to buy a kit and promised the bank manager he’d pay the money back with his Saturday job – which he did.

It took years for him to build up his drum kit – with the right cymbals, a ride, the right drums, made out of maple. He practised every single day.

(Image via)

Then life happened and they found themselves with a baby (me). And because we needed a car more than music, my dad sold his drum-kit.

I don’t know if it was a difficult decision for him at the time, whether he missed playing the drums: he must have.

I got to thinking about sacrifice recently.

Those of you who might know me from home, know I have a Vintage Mini Cooper.

She’s called Princess Tallulah-Belle (DON’T JUDGE ME!) and she’s purple with cream leather seats and a glossy walnut dash – an 18th Birthday present from my Dad.

We have a lot of memories, Princess and I.

I got strong arms in that car – there’s no power steering. I used to make-out with my ex-boyfriend in that car too. Sorry Mum. Great memories.

I spent quite a lot of my teens bombing around the windy Cornish back-lanes towards the coast, music pumped, mates in tow. I’ve cried in that car. I’ve laughed in that car. I’ve even dodged death a couple of times in that car (it seems I have a problem looking right at roundabouts – doh!)

I always imagined coming home from my travels and taking the old gal for a spin.

But recently, money being tight, and the fact I have relocated to London to be a writer, I have had to face the fact that I might need to let Princess go for the extra money so I can pursue my ultimate dream.

I do realise she’s a car and not a person. It’s a material thing. A possession. But nonetheless I was feeling a lil shitty about it all.

You see I’ve never really thought about the true meaning of sacrifice until this time in my life. I’ve never needed to.

And that’s when I came across the Law of Sacrifice.

It turns out, sacrifice is not about giving up something out of obligation, or because it’s the ‘right’ thing to do. Nor is it giving up something that has little or no value. In fact, it’s the opposite.

Sacrifice is about giving up something of great value, for something that you believe is of greater value.

I suddenly remembered my Dad giving up his drum-kit all those years ago. For me. For us. And for our future. And it made me realise the power of personal sacrifice.

You know what, I love that car, but I love my dream more.

And that’s when I realised that sometimes we must let go of the possessions that tie us down in order to drive toward our futures.

I used to think that my possessions somehow defined me in a weird way, but now I am beginning to understand that that is not true. Possessions don’t define a person. It’s just stuff. And it comes and goes. Memories will last. And the Tale of the Purple Mini will always be a part of my story.

Have a great week peeps!

If you enjoyed this article, why not check out ‘Step Out of That Comfort Zone‘ and ‘Know Your Low‘?