STORING OUR TREASURES

As I told you earlier, I just came back from a trip "home" to see my parents and family. They're in their 8th decade on this earth and I am so blessed to have them. I also know that we waste a lot of time, especially here in America. Now, don't get started, those of you who might think that because I'm a liberal I don't love my country. I've sung "God Bless America" at more events than you can count and I always get through it until I get to the "from the mountains to the prairie" and then I'm toast. I write my representatives and my senators and I read and I care about everything that happens within and about America, my home sweet home.

I also have a lot of European friends. Lots of accents and lots of aspects. To a person, they tell me that we have everything upside down. I tend to agree. It's systemic. From siestas to extended vacations to not having to worry 24/7 about what happens to you if you're sick there are foreign attitudes and ideas that could tutor us well.

Think about people who survive a hurricane, a fire, a flood. They cry about the "stuff" they lost but rejoice in the fact that their family, including their beloved dog(s) or cat(s) or bird(s) are safe. These are often people who didn't have a stitch of insurance and don't know where or when they will ever land again.

I dread the inevitable moment when I lose my elderly parents but the reality of life is that I could walk across my street tomorrow, not looking both ways, and get run over by the Ice Cream truck. End of story. DONE DEAL. Infamous old broad laid out by a Dairy Truck. (Actually, a bit of a fitting end to the life of a Wisconsin broad.) But I digress.

I could spout every greeting card piece of syrup but they are in business because behind all the gacky sweetness there is a ring of truth:it all comes down to the same thing. LOVE.

If you knew that your loved one could spend one more day with you...not a day hooked up to machines or sick or in pain but a keeping day - a day of love and laughter and fun and joy - what would you trade for that? Most of us would say...everything. Keep this in mind. We are not to store our treasures on earth - I believe that when Jesus said that our treasures are in Heaven He meant that everything that really matters is intangible.

Would you want Heaven without your loved ones? Without the people who know what wound you up as well as what makes you tick? The parent who reminds you again and again of why you are who you are? The spouse or partner who can tell just by your eyes that today is a day to sit quietly beside you and wait until you speak? The sister who says "I always have time for you, don't ever forget that?" The brother who never, ever forgets your birthday and honors it with a ridiculously disgusting card that could come only from him?

The cat who comes to you and places his forehead on yours to say "I love you?" The dog who walked or ran thousands of miles with you, and fetched anything you could throw?

The friend who makes you laugh until you cry and loves you beyond ideology, politics, distance...loves you because you are who you are. These are the treasures that reside here for only a little while. "Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, 'Where I am going, you cannot come."

I went to a website that lists every bible version of this quote. In the end, I believe that it is the lesson of our lives. We cannot follow our loved ones beyond this earth until our time arrives. It's up to us as to what we learn from them and from our time on earth. What we can do is realize and acknowledge our gift of now. This is the only way that we can fully and completely experience the fleeting gift of life that exists in the here and the now.

I'm hoping that this blog begins to have meaning to a lot of people but I know that right now, the readers are all kind and loving friends and family. You all know who you are. Joyously, you also know who I am. I love you. Being back in Colorado, I will go from quoting Jesus to quoting John Denver. "Friends, I will remember you, think of you, pray for you and when another day is through, I'll still be friends with you."

Should I have the wandering traveler that may have stumbled upon this blog in the circle tonight, WELCOME...you will always be treated with kindness and respect. I'm a political animal and we'll have other days for politics. In the meantime, to all of you, sleep warm. "And so it goes"...Kurt Vonnegut