Life was good. We had the life we had dreamed of. Our marriage was bliss. Our best friends lived right
next door. I saw Sue in her cute shorts and bright floral top and Phil in his baggies washing the windows. It is spring cleaning time, time for cleaning and a time for fixing. The front door needs new paint, the kitchen faucet is leaking again, the closet door is stuck and mending to be done. Things we keep.
It is the way life is. It often makes me crazy and seems it will never end. All that fixing and repairing. Can't I just replace that front door and buy new faucets? I just once wanted to be wasteful. Waste means prosperity. Throwing away things meant there would always be more.

But last year when my grandmother passed away at her favorite time of year, autumn with the leaves in their most beautiful colors, I sat in the hospital thinking about her life and what a treasure she was to me and our family. I was struck with the pain and sadness that there isn't any more.

Sometimes what we love, and care for the most goes away-- never to return again. We think - how does this happen? So while we have it - it is best to cherish it - nourish it - and fix it when it is broken - and nurse us when we are ill.

This is the truth. For life--marriage - old bicycles - children who love arguing with us - dogs and cats with arthritis - and our aging parents and grandparent. We keep them and love them because they are worth it - they bring us joy. We are worth it. We need them. Some things we just keep. Like that best friend who moved away after college or the boy next door that we grew up with.

There are some things that just make life important and worth while, like people who are special in our life - so, we keep them as close as we can. Don't let go of what we treasure.