Where we keep our treasures
August 25, 2009
There you would see an old toolbox, battered and rusty from years of use. The chipped green paint and rusted hinges may lead you to believe its contents are inconsequential at least and forgotten at most.
You would be wrong.
What’s inside that toolbox represent my life’s more memorable moments. A gum wrapper, some pine needles, a spent ring from a cap gun, and so on. Like I said, my most prized possessions. Knowing they’re up there makes me feel a little more comfortable being down here.
My mother has something similar, though her toolbox is disguised as a hope chest that sits in the corner of her bedroom closet. Inside you’ll find old report cards, forgotten toys, and pictures. Lots of pictures.
My father opts to store his keepsakes in the top drawer of his dresser, which had for years been strictly off limits to my prying hands until last week, when I summoned the courage to ask permission to rifle through its contents. I found old coins and older knives, one gun, several bundled letters I did not read, one wooden cross, and more old pictures.
I asked around, and most everyone had their own places for such things hidden somewhere out of sight. People have confessed to stashing their tokens of both past and present in socks and safe deposit boxes, cookie jars and coffee cans. One friend even stored his the old fashioned way—under the mattress of his bed.
Each admitted that no one else would be much interested in their private treasures. Again, none of them could be defined as valuable. Not on the surface, anyway. But beneath? Beneath they were priceless. I could tell they were by the hushed tones and soft smile they would offer along with their confession, as if the telling conveyed some holy secret.
Which I suppose is exactly the case. Handling those relics of the things we hold most dear often takes on the appearance of religious ritual. Touching a memory can be a powerful experience. An old photograph may not represent a mere moment in time, but a token that love is something worth holding onto. And a trinket may not be a trinket, but a symbol that faith does indeed move mountains.
We should consider these things holy. We are, after all, the sum of our experiences. We need those reminders lest we blur our today and cloud our tomorrow. We need to know where we’ve come from if we’re to know where we’re going.
One person I asked had things a little more figured out than the rest of us. A full-blooded Sioux, his people have had much experience in placing great meaning on physical objects. When I asked him where he kept his most precious things, he pulled his T shirt down and pulled out a leather necklace. On the end was a small beaded pouch that was fringed at the bottom.
“Here,” he said. “I keep them here.”
I told him about my toolbox, about the hopes chest and dresser drawer and socks and coffee cans. I even told him about my friend the mattress stuffer. He nodded and smiled, then said, “We all have our sacred things. But you keep yours hidden and far away. What good will they do you there? Why not keep them visible and close instead?”
I opened my mouth to answer, but nothing came out. He was right. Everyone I had talked to kept their treasures hidden away in the darkness of a chest or drawer. Myself included.
Why? Was it because we felt them too valuable to risk the light of day? Or too fragile to be handled often?
I wasn’t sure. But I began thinking about the things our treasures represent, the love and the faith. And I began thinking that often they, too, go hidden and unused. We tuck them away for fear that they are too valuable or fragile, when they are the very things we should carry close to us every day.
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28 Responses to “Where we keep our treasures”
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I’m a writer whose first novel, Snow Day, will be published by FaithWords in 2010.
But don’t let that fool you. I’m just as confused as anyone.
And that is fine with me, because the great thing about wandering around in the fog is that you never know what you might run into.
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Thanks for writing so beautifully, and for always touching my heart.
Another wonderful, thought-provoking, heart-tugging post!
Another beautiful post Billy!
The greatest treasure remains for those who gladly know You now – come! Come as you are to worship! Come just as you are before our God! COME!
Blessings and love,
Jill
I really enjoyed your post on treasures today. It's strange how we tend to hold onto what others would consider mundane or worthless, but to us they are much more than that. Those little tokens are reminders of some of our sweetest memories – after all, as life goes by, those memories are all we have of our lives. Whether they be a twig of hair from my daughter's first hair cut or a photo of her first day of school. Those things mean the world to me and I kept them safely tucked away. One day, when she's older and more mature, I'll drag out that small, battered box and let her see the reminders of her past that seem like just yesterday to me.
Some of my treasures are in a curio cabinet that was my grandmother's, and her mother's before that. Those treasures are where they're safe from dust and damage from handling, yet visible to me daily.
Whatever doesn't fit there is displayed or in use somewhere I can see it, even though it becomes vulnerable to the ravages of time and overuse. It's hard for me to hide away treasures, even when I suspect they'd be safer for it.
.
Tool box, huh?
Sounds fascinating. You should write a book about all those treasures…
Most of my treasures are displayed where I can see them, because I'm a visual person. And I like to surround myself with things that make me happy…including people who write beautiful posts, such as this one. You really are a treasure Billy.
I have a small cedar box that stays locked. It has all of the letters from my husband when we dated. Other trinkets from our dating years as well.
The greatest treasure, our Lord — well, hopefully our personality, character, and lives present Him for all to see.
Love,
b
This gets me:
"Touching a memory can be a powerful experience."
I keep mine in a top drawer of my bedroom. In the treasure box are a stack of love letters, old news badges and press passes, a wind-up Smurfette toy and a Michael Jackson biography that I used to carry around in junior high.
Not sure what all of that says about me.
A beautiful post, Billy.
Awesome thoughts. Although, if I carried my sacred things in a pouch around my neck, I'd need a hydraulic lift! Such is the fate of a clutter addict.
I've got stuff stashed all over. Belt drawer…sock drawer…Mexico clothes drawer..'delicates' drawer…Jon's old t-shirts drawer…
It's gonna be like a treasure hunt when I go.
Touching a memory…that is powerful. Having just moved house we've been looking at our treasures…opening boxes of things stored and being smacked in the face with the memory attached…it does feel like a physical thing.
I loved this post.
Regarding treasures, the first thought that occurred to me is all the framed photos of my children that make up a significant portion of my home's decor. Most of them aren't the professional studio-type photo. They're candids, moments of life preserved in a frame. Some people may wonder why all these "outdated" photos remain in prominent view, but I can't imagine finding more happiness in a priceless Monet or Van Gogh.
The photos will eventually fade, but the beloveds they represent are eternal souls. So I guess you could say my treasure is in heaven.
Love your thoughts, Billy. Thanks again for sharing them.
"Everyone I had talked to kept their treasures hidden away in the darkness of a chest or drawer. Myself included.
Why?"
Aaaahhh, Billy. This is a question worth a savoring. I will think, pour myself a cup of coffee and let this one melt slowly in mind.
Thanks for a nice spiritual M&M.
Thanks also for introducing me to your bloggy friends and dropping a pointer to our interview! I'm still enjoying the fellowship from our conversation.
Great post, Billy. I tried to think of where I hide my treasures. I'd say in a closet, photo albums (before the computer age…now they are all on my computer).
Thanks for this.
Awesome post, Billy, and loved the interview. I look forward to reading Snow Day!!
Billy,
This is true to so many of us. The reason you described is exactly that. We don't want them displayed because they may be lost or destroyed yet for some of us, bringing them into the light wouldn't be possible because our collections are so big.
It is amazing to hear all the things people collect and it gives you something to think about when you wonder what is truly most important to them.
Would we run to these boxes of treasure in a fire? Or simply let them go and grab our personal files and family photos instead?
Great insight and something to think about.
Love and Hugs ~ Kat
You have left me thinking about my own treasures…
Why do I keep them hidden? Afterall, what becomes of those treasures if their value is not shared? To others, it may just look like a box of junk.
Thank you. I needed this.
Yep, good stuff. Thanks.
I, too, have a hope chest. It's packed full with mementos from years past. It would be way too heavy to wear around my neck!
Billy, thank you. I'll check out the interview as well.
“Why? Was it because we felt them too valuable to risk the light of day? Or too fragile to be handled often?”
Or…that being brought into the light of day, others would see and laugh. Maybe fear stifles us from showing our treasures for fear others will think them foolish and trample them to dust. Maybe, we hide our faith, our love because we've been told, "that's personal don't talk of such things as religion and politics…" and so we keep quiet. Hide our treasures. We feel we have a great treasure to share yet for fear the world may think the treasure worthless, we hide it under a bushel instead of letting it shine.
When all the while if we would be willing to let the world laugh if they will, and share our treasures we would see that the world is longing for genuine treasure and we hold the key.
Got me pondering again, Billy. VERY good as usual.
My special 'keep forever box' was misplaced during a move several years ago. I was very upset I'd lost the old dried up corsages and report cards but like anything else I got over it. I know the times that were the most important will be in my heart forever.
Thanks for another awesome post!
Hi Billy,
Well, your blog certainly is thought provoking. Immediately I thought of my Harry Potter collection I have stashed away in my closet, hardly ever touched but loved thoroughly, but really my most valuable? No. Sure, I have the pictures, and the little things that represent important moments in my life. A cross hand made for my wedding, a newborns cap from my son, cards of love from my husband but still, those are just things. If all taken away at any moment I would have a sting of regret, but my life would continue on with the memory of all my things tucked away for future reference. The most precious, most valuable possesions are my husband and my kids. Of course, as they should be you would say, but it's not just them. It's the moment by moment joy they bring me, the smiles and jokes, the fun and all the love. Things that can't be stored away that are most treasured.
Oh yeah. Let me wear my faith out where all can see. Joy, Peace, and Love.
Straight from the heart. Good stuff!
So true!