Treasures of the Heart . . .

 

If we have each other,
nothing matters, come what may.
Life to us will bring
new hope
with every passing day . . . 
Alone I halt and falter,
but together we go far.
Love shall be our guide,
our sunset lamp,
our morning star.
~Patience Strong

 When I think of the things in life that are most important to me they boil down to three things and only three things . . . Faith, Family and Friends . . . of course there are a myriad of sub entries under those three things, but it's interesting that all three start with the letter "F."   I never thought of that until I looked at the words I had just written . . . obviously "F" is an important letter . . . at least to me!



My faith enables me to get out of bed every morning and face the day, no matter what it brings.   It gives me hope in a wonderful day and a better tomorrow.  It helps me to put to rest the past I cannot change and to know I can do better.  It enables me to put my trust in a higher power, trusting that ultimately all will be for my own good, should I make righteous choices and decisions.  It helps me to see the face of the Savior in every one I meet . . . with faith I can forgive all things, believe all things, cling to the good and throw off the bad, live a virtuous life with no regret, see the good in all men . . . and endure all things.  If I have no faith . . . well, I cannot imagine a life without faith . . . my faith underpins everything . . .

Family.  We all have one.  They are the best of things.  They are the worst of things.   Sometimes we adore them and others we can't stand to be around them . . . and yet beneath it all there is that single solitary truth, we love them with all of our heart.   I am very blessed in my family.




I have a husband whom I love and adore with every breath of my being, even if sometimes I want to tip his sock drawer over his head.  He is more often than not, a great source of joy to me.



Then Mitzie . . . she may be a dog, but she's family.  We could not have any children . . . she is our baby.  Our pets always are.  Unconditional love.  That is what they bring to the equation.  Who else would wag their tail and greet you with such enthusiasm each time you enter the room.   Whether you have been away for five minutes or five days . . . they are happy to see you with boundless joy.   What a treasure.

My parents and brother and sister.  I share something special with them that I share with nobody else on earth.  My parents have known me all of my life and I have known my brother and sister all of each of theirs.   We share a history unlike any other.   There are places we have been and we have experienced that nobody else will ever understand.   We have our own language and our own feelings and our own ways, again . . . unconditional love.  Family is where you can be yourself, and they love you anyways.



My children  . . . here is where it gets a bit complicated.   There is nothing any of my children could do that I wouldn't forgive.  They may disappoint from time to time, they may break my heart from time to time, but always, always I love them.   They are flesh of my flesh, bone of my bone . . . I gave them life, and nurtured them and helped them to grow as best I knew how.  When they hurt, I hurt.  When they cry, I cry.  When they laugh, I laugh . . . when they succeed my chest swells with pride, and when they are happy, my heart is so full that I feel it could burst.

 

They are a half of me and carry a piece of my heart with them wherever they go. They are my legacy to the world.   Nothing on earth is more rewarding than knowing you have raised a happy, well adjusted, decent, honest, hard working child to adulthood . . . and nothing brings more joy than when you see them doing the same and you have Grandchildren . . . who knew such joy could begin with two people and grow in such a special way.

Two begat five who have now begotten 7 and they are not finished yet . . .



Friends.  I love my friends and I don't just mean the visible ones.  I love the invisible ones too.   They add a measure of joy and love into my life that words cannot explain.   God gave us families and then we picked for ourselves other bits of family, which we call . . . friends.  Sometimes family can be friends . . . and sometimes friends can be family . . . for some people friends are the only family they have . . . they are special people, chosen people.

 

 People who are in your sphere, not by accident of birth, but by choice.  You can laugh with them and cry with them, and everything in between.   A good friend is always there for you no matter what, but you have to be a friend . . . to have a friend.  A help in times of trouble, a listening ear when you need to talk.  Someone to cheer you on when the race gets tough and to clap you on the back when you come in first . . . or second, or third, or . . . even last.   Often long suffering, hopefully honest in all ways . . . always supportive.   Ready to boost us up when we need some extra ooomph . . . and ready to reach out and pull us up when we have fallen down.  That is a friend . . .

All treasures of the heart . . . these three "F's" of mine.   I cannot imagine a life without a measure of each in it.

Happiness is not a matter of events,
it depends upon the tides of the mind.
-Alice Meynell

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Cooking in The English Kitchen today . . . Clear Out The Fridge Vegetable Gratin.   Quite, quite scrummy indeed.