Priceless Treasures
When we had our first child my father-in-law gave me a poem which he lovingly hand wrote as a keepsake. It was by that famous author, Anonymous. I memorized the first two lines.
“Some have silver and some have gold,
But you have a child in your arms to hold.”
Each stanza describes those who have land, power, riches, pride, or fame. But how can those things compare to a child’s smile, embrace, footsteps, first words, or kiss? That poem has provided me with an inner compass. When our other two children were born I would reread it just to keep perspective of what is most important in life.
Who hasn’t longed for a wealth and riches? Who hasn’t longed to be able to afford expensive works of art? Having traveled a bit, I’ve been dazzled by Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, Van Gogh’s Starry Night, Monet’s Water Lilies, and Whistler’s Portrait of the Painter’s Mother. I’ve marveled at Michelangelo’s Statue of David, the Greek Venus de Milo, and Rodin’s The Thinker. I’ve been a guest in homes so lavish and pristine you were afraid to breathe, much less sit down. And I can say without hesitation that none of these can compare to my own assortment of priceless treasures which have taken me years to accumulate.
My cherished collection includes but is not limited to the following:
- Carnations made out of pink Kleenex tissues
- A hanging wall letter holder made from paper plates
- Popsicle framed pictures
- A teabag taped to a picture of a teapot
- A jewelry box made from macaroni glued to a cigar box and spray painted gold
- Abstract (and I do mean abstract) works of art
- Family collages of pictures pasted on construction paper
- Handmade greeting cards with original poems beginning with “Roses are red and violets are blue”
- Seedlings planted in small paper cups
- Awards with “World’s Greatest Mom” written in crayon
- Colorful potholders made from material scraps
- A cutting board made in shop class
- Jewelry made from pipe cleaners
- Message holders made from clothespins
- Paper weights made from painted rocks
- Plaster of Paris foot prints
- Coupons that say, “I will take out the trash” or “I will clean my room.”
- Card board place mats
- A child’s hand print accompanied by a poem about children leaving fingerprints everywhere in a home
It’s taken years to acquire these works of art. And more priceless yet were the three treasures who presented them to me – because as the last stanza of my poem explains…
“What matter then if wealth we miss?
For what is gold compared to this?”
Here are my three priceless treasures all grown up…
