Greatest gifts
Dear Younger Me,
How do you define treasure? What is a gift? Maybe you picture the Goonies or Christmas morning looking under the tree. I can visualize both clearly now but my definition has changed over time.
Treasure to me is priceless. It’s not something of monetary value to me. I think of a “treasure chest” and searching far and wide or how “treasure” seems to be secured to prevent loss. Who deems it as treasure is up to the individual. What you treasure is what holds the greatest value in your eyes. It brings clarity to the quote, “one man's trash is another man's treasure.”
Gift? Something given that you didn’t earn.
Discovering you have a gift that you treasure is a rare crossover. Someone may give me coffee and though that’s highly appreciated, I don’t treasure it. I will drink it, and it will pass. Now this is unique to the individual, but I have only found two things that land in this overlap.
In my book of definitions, in the overlap there sits time and relationships.
Depending on the season, there are ebbs and flows. Residing in the middle are the constants. To date, those are the most valuable things that I’ve discovered.
You can disagree because one man's trash is another man’s treasure. In that case, my sister is my favorite kind of trash. Haha- I can say that because we have the relationship, but if anyone treats her with an ounce less of the respect than she deserves that will light up my core like nothing else.
We have had our share of disagreements/hard conversations. At the end of the day, she has shown up to love me through the thickness of valleys and has stood beside me (literally and figuratively) on the top of mountains. In the rain she dances next to me, in the car she shares the karaoke mic and on a Wednesday she calls just to say’ “hi.”
She may drive you crazy and tweet about hating your passion for “ball being life.” You will never write a letter to Santa or dream of a better gift on a birthday than the one already standing beside you. Some people will treat her like trash and those jerks are blind… she is priceless. Treasure having a sister that will call you out when she holds you to a higher standard than you’ve been living and shares life without compartments. Remember you have a been given a gift to have the relationship you do, so listen to her with not only your ears but your heart because she is giving you access to seeing the full beauty of the treasure beyond the surface, and appreciate when your drive takes 20 minutes longer because there is a sunset she needs to capture- you just got 20 more minutes with your best friend.
Prioritize what you treasure. Each moment with someone you love (including yourself) is a drop in the bucket to be grateful for.
With Love,
Older You