The Cedar Chest

The family had all gathered for the last reading of the will... each piece of the man's life parceled and divied up... as his wife sat stone like in shock... listening to the lawyer reciting figures, leafing through documents...

The days had seemed endless since he had died.. the house so quiet.. and she looked around at the faces of her children.. her family.. her grandbabies.... a lifetime  created out of what they shared together..

Opening up the safety deposit box the lawyer drew forth a small wooden cedar chest with a tiny golden padlock...and handed it to the wife.. cleared his throat and read the note that was attached to the top of it... To my dearest wife... my dearest treasures... the lawyer then handed her a small key ..Bewildered she fumbled with the key trying to open the chest... and the little padlock sprang open to reveal another note that lay on top of the little chest.. the family leaned forward straining to see what treasures lie in the chest...puzzlement filling their faces..

Slowly she read the words....

My dearest wife I leave to you my dearest treasures.... the faded ribbon that you see.. is one that I collected unnoticed from you when we had just begun to date and you would nervously fiddle with your hair... I couldn't help but slip it into my pocket and carry away a piece of you... and it was the first treasure that I started to collect over the years.. .. the folded up weathered blue speeding ticket was one that I received on one of those crazy college weekends that I would rush to meet you on campus and steal precious moments... each one giving me hope for what may lie ahead for us in the future.. the matchbook that is half gone was taken from the luncheon meeting that we had with your parents when we announced our intent to marry...proof of all those cigarettes smoked nervously waiting to hear their approval...the piece of coral was found on our honeymoon where our son William was conceived.. . .to be followed by a copy of the key to our first home....the tiny sock is one that I found on the floorboard of the mustang one day while cleaning out the car... William never could keep those things on his feet.., the ticket stub is a reminder of the summer we took him to Sea World.. I will never forget the look on his face when he got to feed those dolphins.  The tiny hospital bracelet that would barely go around my finger was taken from Katie's wrist when we included her in our family.. the little feather was one that she brought to me on a spring morn when the wonderment of the world was new to her.  As time went on I included bits and pieces of our life in this chest... you will find memontos of the little things, the vacations, the weddings, the births, the simple things like a rock that was similiar to the one that I used to teach my grandson Jason to skip with across a pond.. or the aluminum foil star that my granddaughter Elizabeth made me one Christmas... my treasures... my kingdom for my queen... In life I gave you tokens of my love for you with titles of houses and cars.. and jewels to wear on your fingers and neck... But the most precious treasures were the ones that you gave to me... and that I leave to you... Our son William... our daughter Katie..our grandchildren... and the memories that we built together.. Though I leave this world .. I am entrusting this box with you.. and the treasures that surround you in the seats right now in this room.. so that you may fill it even further with beautiful mementos for them to carry on ... And to those in the room I leave to you my greatest treasure... My queen.. cherish her as I cherished her... love each other as you have been loved by me...

Everlasting Love,
Your Grandfather, Father, and Husband

In silence the note was passed from person to person... and each momento in the box lovingly caressed and when the box returned to his wife she took the rose bud that she had plucked from his casket cover that afternoon and placed it inside the box.  In the stillness tears slid down the faces of the daughter and son and the grandchildren as they watched her place the box on the center of the fireplace mantle.. the family realized... that life is the greatest treasure.. life and love and all the experiences.. for it is in just the little things... that are shared with loved ones that are the treasures in ones life.

May you all be blessed by just the little things with your loved ones....
~ Grace ~