Their marriage was good, their dreams focused. Their best friends lived barely a wave away. I can see them now. Dad in trousers, tee shirt, and a hat, and Mom in a housedress, lawn mower in one hand, and dish-towel in the other. It was the time for fixing things. A curtain rod, the kitchen radio, screen door, the oven door, the hem in a dress. Things we keep.
It was a way of life, and sometimes it made me crazy. All that re-fixing, eating, renewing. I wanted, just once, to be wasteful. Waste meant affluence. Throwing things away meant you knew there'd always be more.
But then my mother died, and on that clear summer's night, in the warmth of the hospital room, I was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn't any more.
Sometimes, what we care about most gets all used up and goes away, never to return. So, while we have it, it's best we love it And care for it. And fix it when it's broken. And heal it when it's sick.
This is true for marriage, and old cars, and children with bad report cards. Dogs and cats with bad hips. And aging parents, and grandparents. We keep them because they are worth it --because we are worth it. Some things we keep -- like a best friend that moved away, or a classmate we grew up with
.
There are just some things that make life important -- like people we know who are special --and so, we keep them close!
*This was sent to me today --I thought it was worth keeping --and sharing.
8 comments:
A great perspective on the important things in life.
Marriage really is like that. People change as the years pass, so it's a constant process of adjusting to the changes both in yourself and your spouse. If you don't work at it, the marriage will suffer. Just like a machine, you have to maintain a marriage to keep it in operation.
rokync..yes, too often we lose sight of that, don't we?
hermit..you are so right. Too often, in this throwaway society, if we get tired of something, or it breaks, rather than trying to fix it, we get rid of it, and get something that, we think, is more to our liking, and that has spilled over into our personal lives, too, I think.
Sad, but true...
Very nice blog, enjoyed it. Thanks.
sue..yep!
nickel..thanks!
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Post a Comment