Hidden Treasures
Upon my return from Texas, I went to see Mom. I know she loves getting the latest news about all the family and I use my visual aids (my cell phone’s photos) to describe it all. I had lots of photos from Payton’s 16th birthday celebrations to show her, that she loved.
She played baseball as a young woman so she got a special joy of hearing about Brennan, our 11 year old’s recent game. They were down 4-0 when Brennan was up to bat. It was a full count: 3 balls, 2 strikes, and each strike was a tipped ball. His dad hollered out “Shift your back leg”. He did, and WHAM, he hit a homerun over the fence which brought in two who were on bases and his run. I showed her this photo of Brennan’s team running out to celebrate with him at home base. Mom loved it. So much so, that she went back to her bedroom and found the photo of herself (on the right), her friend, and her sister, Penny (on the left) in their baseball uniforms. During the war, they worked for Western Steel who had competitive ball teams. Their team’s name was “We Steel”. Mom’s eyes brightened up when she told me about how she made sure her back leg was positioned for her runs and homeruns, sliding into home, and her stretches to catch the balls in outfield. Treasures.
This little shared time with Mom (my mother-in-law) reminded me of the importance of spending time with our loved ones, but not just “time”, but giving them the opportunity to remember and share their past. With my own sweet Mom, I would go over and often capture our conversations on video so that my family could hear “her stories” of what school was like for her, their Christmases where they got an apple, an orange and a few nuts in their Christmas stocking (that was all, but big — in a family of 12), how she and Dad met, how they fell in love, how they made it through tough times. Treasures.
Maybe there is a Mom, Dad, Grandparent, Aunt or Uncle (in your life) that are past the ages of getting out and around like they once did, but I assure you, they are filled with stories and adventures that are just waiting to be heard. Maybe this weekend would be a good time for a planned and unrushed visit to see them and let them share those treasures with you. I promise you, you’ll leave with joys inside and they will feel such love from you that you gave them the time to want to know! Live with no regrets. Know those loved ones deeply so they don’t leave us with hidden treasures inside that we never found.