Treasures...everyone, at some point, has fantasized about what they would do if they were to win the lottery (pay off houses and cars, give to loved ones, church, maybe even philanthropic endeavors). Treasure conjures up several images, but probably primarily a booty, a pirate's treasure, hidden riches, often kept or found under mysterious circumstances.
What makes something a treasure? What do you DO with a treasure? Is it so valuable that it remains locked up, so it doesn't get stolen, lost, or damaged? Placed in a special location? Do you treat it as though it will vanish or break if it is handled too much or too often? Most treasures need to be guarded, right?
"Real treasure lies not in that what can be seen, but that what cannot be seen."~~Author Unknown
Although, most typically, treasures are tangible items, the most valuable and important treasures to me are those intangible items that we value: time with loved ones, shared experiences, the love and caring shown to us by those around us. Many times, if the treasure is a tangible item, it's something that Mr. G.Q. Public would not place a great value upon, like tokens. This percieved value, or the intagibility of the treasure, often makes it difficult to identify what might be treasured by each person, and many times the treasures are as varied as the individuals.
"Memory is the treasure house of the mind, wherein the monuments thereof are kept and preserved."~~Thomas Fuller
Here is just a tiny sampling of some of MY treasures:
This past summer, we took a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains in Gatlinburg, TN. One of the adventures we had was horseback riding. Everyone was able to ride an adult horse (not a pony in a circle), controlling the reins themselves. Thomas (who was 9) was so enthusiastic about the experience, that he was asking to repeat it halfway through the ride...
A spontaneously gathered fiesta birthday celebration for Daddy on his last birthday...
This simple project my daughter completed for Mother's Day several years ago...
For me, as I am sure for many others, the real treasures are these small pieces of our lives, special times or memories, made more valuable because of their context in our lives. These sweet times, memories, experiences are held close to us, in our memories, photos, mementos, souvenirs, but not because they can be taken from us. They can be shared without being relinquished. They can be brought out over and over again, in the retelling, but never be degraded by the repeated handling.
"Ordinary riches can be stolen, real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you."~~ Oscar Wilde
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