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She married early and was very naive. Maybe the youthful spirit helped
her in some ways, because she was eager to please her new mate and tried to
be understanding and adaptable. She took her example from her maternal
grandmother…a loving,
indefatigable, dependable individual. When at twenty she became a mother,
she had already etched these traits into her character.
Another thing about her that was like her grandmother was that she
loved pretty keepsakes; knick-knacks, dustcatchers. Grandmother had a
“what-not” shelf and now she too must have one. Before long hubby had fixed
one, and one by one little pitchers, tiny framed pictures, and little angels
began appearing on the shelves. One from a trip that hubby took…two from
a banquet that they attended together, one a gift from a dear friend. It
made her feel good when she dusted them and lovingly rearranged them.
Before long the boys had grown tall enough to climb and reach the shelf
in curiosity. Down came the shelf and all of the treasures. Several of
them broke and lay in pieces. Thoughts and emotions dashed through her mind
in a matter of seconds. Anger…sadness…loss…pain. She looked down at
the faces of her very real angels…twin boys with blonde curly hair and
eyes as blue as the sky. They were waiting to see what her reaction would
be. They were wondering just how much trouble they were in.
Looking from the broken porcelain to the boys and back again, she
realized where her priorities lay. Her most treasured possessions were
standing before her, wide-eyed and very quiet. Giving the boys a quick hug,
she explained the dangers of climbing and how they would glue the broken
things back together later. She told them how very much she loved them…so
much more than pieces of glass.
There are two truths that one can gather from her experience. One is
that when we keep the perspective of loving people and using things; we are
better off. Hobbies and collections are wonderful stress relievers.
However, they will never take the place of loving, caring relationships with
living, breathing people. We should be careful that attaining things does
not become the focus of our lives.
The other truth is heartfelt forgiveness. God forgives us; we forgive
others. To forgive someone quickly and eagerly, makes the spirit soar.
“Thank you, Lord for picking up the broken pieces of my life and
forgiving me so many times. Like the glued, flawed “what nots” on the
little handmade shelf; our lives stand as a testimony to your love and
patience with us. Amen.”
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