Memories

A spur of the moment thought to open my hope chest overwhelmed me this morning. It is full to the gills of MEMORIES from years past. It isn't very often that I actually pull everything out and look over it again as some of the memories in there are still fresh in my heart and still bring tears. But this morning, it just seemed like the time to do it again.

My mother's little stuffed animal, a heart music box given to me, my sons plaques that simply said "I LOVE YOU" etched in a small piece of wood that they both had made me, baby clothes from my firstborn, pictures of my children and grandchildren, a little doll that my mother bought for her first granddaughter but was never able to give it to her (1 day I will though), momentos from my trip to Paris with my daughter, momentos from my trip to Hawaii with my sisters, Darrel's granny's blanket, a piece of breast cancer awareness jewelry that my sister had bought me, my father's first leather baby shoes, more pictures than I could count and so many more memories lay gently where I had placed them from the last time I mustered up the courage to open this priceless hope chest.

As my fingers traced each and every object the MEMORIES flooded my heart and mind. I took the time to stop and savor each memory. I closed my eyes and could hear the sights and sounds that each object brought back. My father's laughter,