Who ever knew that an orange shovel would mean so much to a 7 year old boy? Well, I learned just how hard it could be. As we are preparing to leave and getting rid of an enormous ammount of "stuff," I take for granted the little things that mean so much to my children. I get on drive mode and go. Well, yesterday I was getting rid of some yard supplies and put them in the car to deliver them to our friends. DJ, our oldest said, "Mom, you can't get rid of the orange shovel." I asked him why not... His response, "Everytime I see it, it reminds me of Papa and the time I helped him shovel out dirt from the trailer and if you get rid of it, I won't have anything to remind me of him." So, then I was faced with what to do... Do I keep it so he can look at it every once in a blue moon, or do I create a diversion and when he isn't looking toss it really quick, or do I use it to teach a life lesson...? I chose to use it to his benefit and told him that it is only an "item" and with Papa and other people in our life it is a "relationship" and what is the most important thing? Our relationships with the people around us. So, he parted with the shovel and said good bye to it. He seemed relieved to learn that simple lesson. Then he asked Amy, "Hey, when we come back, can we get the orange shovel?" It was incredibly sweet and something I will remember for a long time.
So often we find those "things" in our lives to have such a siginificance and an importance to us, but when we truly sit back and look at our life, it is the relationships that mean the most. Everything else can fade away, but friendships last a lifetime!!! I am learning that as I prepare to get rid of many of my personal things from home. Things that I too am having to say good bye to, and through the process it is helping me to realize the significance and the importance of the friends and family in my life! What a blessing!
