Hidden Treasures

When I was little, about 6 or 7, I would pick up anything and everything my eyes wandered upon. My “treasures” I would call them, and every time I found one it was like the first fall day after a long hot summer; exciting and refreshing. Each was a new mystery and story to be solved and told. My mom said my eyes were always curious, always searching, always watching. She also said I ran into a lot of things, because my head was always down.  About 2 weeks ago at cross country practice, my eyes moved carefully over each and every piece of gravel as my feet continued their endless pace. Finally my gaze caught on something purple, and without thinking I stopped so abruptly Mrs. Coach Null ran into the back of me. I gently caressed the newly found purple heart-shaped bracelet as old memories flooded back into my head.  Laughing I thought, another treasure to add to my collection.

That night when I got home from practice, I showed my mom my new found treasure. “Ew Natalie, are you still picking up trash from the dirty ground?” she asked. With such familiarity I answered, “It’s not trash mommy, these are my treasures!”  My mom left the kitchen, and after what sounded like a stampede of elephants passed upstairs, she came back with a tiny purple box. My eyes lit up as they caught sight of what was inside; each and every one of my treasures was there. They seemed to call out my name asking to be found again, and to my amazement I was still just as excited to find them. The charms and different pieces filled my heart with warmth like fresh baked chocolate chip cookies; each bite more delicious than the first, and leaving me wanting more.

The same scene would always play before my eyes like a thin mist. A small girl would be crying because she had lost the only memory of her father, and then I would gladly reunite her with her beloved charm and take her pain away. I now look at each one of my treasures with a new fondness. Most are somehow broken, dirty, or tarnished, but still they all have a story to tell. I can’t help but believe that all things are lost so they can be found again. There’s a pure happiness and hope I feel whenever I find a new treasure, so I am always curious, always searching, always watching.

With Love,

            Chrys