Lesson Learned

Do you remember the "Choose Your Own Adventure" stories? Well, who doesn't!

There was a time when I was really into them. Maybe it was the draw of being able to go back and redo your "life" when at the end you died or something tragic happened. I got really good at retracing my steps and manipulating my choices so as to get to that pleasing finish.

Hmmm, I wish life were that way.

Last week, I was faced with a choice. Not a life-altering choice really, but one that altered the moment. Which, coincidentally, life is just made up of many such moments!

I had been straightening up my bedroom and the girls had been playing dollies. They all came bounding into my room and jumped on my freshly made bed. "Hey! I just made that!" Then Grace asked if they could look in my jewelry box and try stuff on.

Now, in my head, I'm picturing jewelry being flung about and more messes to clean up. So, my first answer was "No, it's time to go start another load of laundry." Grace, master negotiator, said "But you never wear any of it." Hmmm... she's right. For one who touches, takes apart, and looks at jewelry daily, I sure don't wear it! That's when it hit me, why not? Really, what is so important to keep me from allowing it? Certainly not laundry!

My laziness hit me square in the eye. I just cringed at myself and decided to change my answer!

"Okay, let's look at my jewelry!" I literally had not opened that jewelry box for months. And as we lay on my bed looking through it all, my eye landed on one little ring. Through my mind's eye flashed the memories associated with that ring. How Carter had told me to look in the little gift shop at the Beach for something I'd like for my Birthday. I saw that ring, tried it on, looked at the price, put it back. But I couldn't stop thinking about it and I wanted it, Oh, how I wanted it! He ended up buying it for me, even though it was beyond what our budget would allow.

That must have been at least six years ago and now I look at that ring and think it's nothing special. Yeah, it's special that it came from my husband, but I never wear it and this time when I looked at it all I could remember was how greedy and inconsiderate I was.

Lesson Learned. It's all just stuff. Stuff that will get tossed out eventually. I must invest in those things that last, like truly loving my husband and a moment shared with my daughters.


~ christa jean