Treasures

That’s my well-worn kitchen windowsill and those are a collection that at first glance don’t amount to much.

But, that sign in the back, from the London tube, is a visual reminder of a month-long trip backpacking around Europe so very many years ago, stretching my legs and seeing new parts of the world.

The initialed pumpkin, a nod to fall, the turn of the seasons, and a reminder to me to be more in the moment and not looking toward what’s next.

The tools are my Dad’s. I have so many memories of Saturdays spent silently watching him work wonders in the garage, the basement, the yard. He’s been gone 18 months now and the loss remains.

That shell was the one that wandered across the counter overnight in our beach condo this summer. We never coaxed the crab from it, but he is gone and we aren’t sure where. The shell is a great reminder of a wonderful getaway and the fun we had.

The tomato is, literally, the fruit of our labor. The seeds we planted last spring we transferred to our garden beds as seedlings in early May. Six healthy tomato plants grew in cages all summer, budding- first bright yellow blossoms, then tiny, green tomatoes that disappeared overnight. We fed a mama deer and her two fawns all summer but we managed to “rescue” this one tomato before they got it. One. It was delicious; no wonder they ate them all.

If these items are so rich with story, how many more memories, heartaches, indescribable joys do people hold?

What if I approached every person I met with the same tenderness as I do these things on my sill? What if I could see the stories they held within, ones that explained their choices and guided their steps?

We are all God’s treasure and I wonder how different the world would be if we could treat each other the way He loves us.