Treasures

I've been writing/rewriting this post since last Saturday night. It started out as a post about things I treasure. My feelings are a lot deeper on the subject and now my post has transformed to love, loss and the treasures left behind.

Last Saturday my Sil, Beth and I walked thru the home of her grandmother who passed away last year. Grandma Jeanne Maulhardt's exquisite home is now empty. I've known Grandma Jeanne since I was 14 years old. After my mom died, the Maulhardt family took in our family. We've celebrated holidays, blown out candles on birthdays, witnessed baptisms, danced at weddings and grieved at funerals; all together.

As we walked and looked around at the bare rooms all those feelings of love and loss flooded back. I thought about my moms empty house. My grandpa living in his and grandmas house alone. But mostly about families; families with heavy hearts and the treasures left behind.

Looking around what do you take? How do you choose? How does any one item describe the love and the loss?

Standing sweetly where my daughters sleep are a few treasures from very special grandmas.
These ladies sit day after day keeping a careful eye on my dreaming girls. Just as I imagine my dearly departed grandmothers do. These treasures are a gift to my girls. One of my most important jobs is to teach my children; to teach them where they came from and the legacy which they've inherited. My girls had grandmothers who loved and treasured them.

When looking closely at these treasures you may see a missing arm or a porcelain collar mostly broken off. Yet to me they are perfectly imperfect. As a matter of fact I love them more because of their imperfections. I want my girls to know you don't have to be perfect to be loved. I love them just as I love these treasures; with a long history, broken pieces here and there all of which make them absolutely beautiful and priceless.

Thank you sweet Grandmas. We all love and miss you and are eternally thankful for the treasures you left behind.