Some of the things I like best about living in a rural setting are the beautiful scenes that are all around me early in the morning and in the evening when the sun is going down. Here in Texas we do have spectacular pink and orange and gold skies at certain times of the day.
I love to take pictures, although I am not a real accomplished photographer, and sometimes I don’t even have my phone with me to take a shot while I’m working outside. By the time I go inside to get my phone, the moment is lost, so often I just take a picture with my heart.
This morning I had my phone with me.
The following essay has made the rounds online and some of you may have already read it. It’s been circulated for several years, but the message is still so relevant I thought I would share it here. I looked online to see if I could find the author’s name, but everywhere it appears it is with “author unknown.”
I would like to thank that author unknown for the heartfelt message.
I grew up with practical parents. A mother, God love her, who washed aluminum foil after she cooked in it, then reused it. She was the original recycle queen, before they had a name for it… A father who was happier getting old shoes fixed than buying new ones.
Their marriage was good, their dreams focused. Their best friends lived barely a wave away.
I can see them now, Dad in trousers, tee shirt and a hat and Mom in a house dress, lawn mower in one hand, and dish towel in the other. It was the time for fixing things. A curtain rod, the kitchen radio, screen door, the oven door, the hem in a dress. Things we keep.
It was a way of life, and sometimes it made me crazy. All that re-fixing, eating, renewing, I wanted, just once, to be wasteful. Waste meant affluence. Throwing things away meant you knew there’d always be more.
But then my mother died, and on that clear summer’s night, in the warmth of the hospital room, I was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn’t any more.
Sometimes, what we care about most gets all used up and goes away…never to return.. So… while we have it….. it’s best we love it…. and care for it… and fix it when it’s broken… and heal it when it’s sick.
This is true for marriage… and old cars… and children with bad report cards… and dogs with bad hips… and aging parents… and grandparents. We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it.
Some things we keep. Like a best friend that moved away or a classmate we grew up with.
There are just some things that make life important, like people we know who are special… and so, we keep them close.
FRIDAY’s FUNNIES
First off this funny bathroom sign.
GREAT TRUTHS THAT LITTLE CHILDREN HAVE LEARNED:
1) No matter how hard you try, you can’t baptize cats.
2) When your Mom is mad at your Dad, don’t let her brush your hair.
3) If your sister hits you, don’t hit her back. They always catch the second person.
4) Never ask your 3-year old brother to hold a tomato.
5) You can’t trust dogs to watch your food.
6) Don’t sneeze when someone is cutting your hair.
7) Never hold a Dust-Buster and a cat at the same time.
8) You can’t hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
9) Don’t wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts.
10) The best place to be when you’re sad is Grandma’s lap.
KID’S JOKES
Q: Why did the orange stop in the middle of the hill?
A: It ran out of juice!
Q: Why are the floors of basketball courts always so damp?
A: The players dribble a lot.
Q: What starts with E, ends with E and only has one letter?
A: An envelope.
Q: What is at the end of everything?
A: The letter G.
Q: What nails do carpenters hate to hit?
A: Fingernails.
Q: How do locomotives hear?
A: Through the engineers.
Q: Why is tennis such a loud game?
A: Because each player raises a racket.
Q: Who earns a living by driving his customers away?
A: A taxi driver.
Q: What two things can you not have for breakfast?
A: Lunch and dinner.
That’s it for me folks. I have a busy weekend ahead with a concert tonight at the Winnsboro Center for the Arts. Going to hear Verlon Thompson, a singer, songwriter and amazing guitarist. Then on Saturday there is a Women in the Arts exhibition at the art center, and my daughter and I are both in the show. What a thrill. On Sunday, I meet with my writer’s group, also at the art center, before the annual ice-cream social.
I think I will nap on Monday.
How about you? Do you have plans for the weekend? Have a joke to share? Please do.
I love the Great Truths, Maryann! Thanks for another Friday fun.
You’re welcome, Pat. I thought the Great Truths were good ones, too. Have a great weekend.
Great words of wisdom to remember!
I agree, Morgan. I’ve read that piece before, but it is worth a repeat. Have a great weekend.