Tuesday, August 27, 2013

What's Inside Your Treasure Chest?


Imagine for a moment that you are walking on a beach.  You discover a treasure chest washed up on the shore.  It's heavy.  The outside is weather-beaten.  It appears to be very old. There is a lock on the outside.  A crowd gathers.  A locksmith steps forward to offer you help with the lock.  You think about all the riches that are inside.  The atmosphere around you is like being in Las Vegas at a gambling table.  The crowd cheers when the lock is picked.  You throw open the lid.  The only sound you hear is from the ocean waves crashing.  There's no gold.  No silver.  Nothing but a stack of spiral notebooks filled with hand-written notes.  The crowd disperses.  You open up one of the notebooks and begin reading.  You discover that these are love letters.  There are two authors -- a husband and a wife.  The notebooks belonging to the wife are neat and expressive.  The notebooks from the husband are difficult to read because the penmanship is erratic.  You can't stop reading because each love letter is filled with so much emotion and heart.  You wonder, who are these people?

I know the answer.  This is my own treasure chest.  It has thousands of love letters inside it.  Some were penned at the lowest points in my life when I thought I was drowning.  Others were written during times of mountain-top experiences.  When our lives are over, we plan to turn over our treasure chest to our children.  They will decide whether to share the treasure chest or cast it into the ocean.  This is what we will leave behind.  Our memories are our most valuable treasures.  Our love for one another is more valuable than all the gold and silver in the world.

Please ponder for a moment what items you would like to place in your treasure chest.  When you leave this world, who will you pass your treasure chest to?  Thanks for sharing your answers in the comments section below.  I look forward to reading about your treasures.

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