The Treasure Chest

This story is fictitious but there are life lessons contained in it. I hope you enjoy it.

I had just received that dreaded phone call two days earlier. My grandma had been sick for a long time. Everyone went to see her as much as possible. She had hung on for a long time, we all told her that it was ok to let go. I took her death pretty hard. She had a little house a couple of miles from the lake. She always said it was far enough to get some good exercise to get there. That was her daily morning walk.

It had been years since I had walked into her house. Everything was as I remembered it. It was eerie being there, I kept expecting her to come from the kitchen like she always did. There was a lot of love in this house, she made it that way. I made myself comfortable and had a cup of hot tea. She had lived a simple life and she liked it that way, she was a very happy person.

I walked in her room and at the foot of her bed was her treasure chest. I sat down and slowly opened it. It was filled to the top with her prized possessions. Her favorite afghan was lying on top. She said that her favorite Aunt Margie had made it for her. Next was a picture of all of us at the zoo that was taken ten years earlier. Her recipe box was next. This box held all the secret recipe’s that everyone wanted to get their hands on. My grandma was known for making her famous pies.

I was feeling over whelmed so I took a break. I sat on the bed and thought, you can live your life to the fullest and it all boils down to your favorite things being put in your treasure chest. Grandma’s mind was good until the very end; it was her body that gave out on her. Her memory was great! She was also a fantastic story teller. I miss her so much. After a hearty cry, I felt better. I didn’t feel numb like I had when I first walked in her home. I felt more at peace with her passing.

I went back to the treasure chest and the next thing I pulled out surprised me, buried toward the bottom was a rock and a note was attached to it. It read: Don’t let life hold you down, always find the strength to get back up. If you find yourself needing me, just hold this rock tighter. Love you, Dad. Grandma Grace loved telling us stories about her dad. She loved him so much; he had died when she was a little girl, only 7 years old.

The last thing that I had taken out of the treasure chest was her wedding gown. It was beautiful. The beadwork was beautiful. The shoulders were puffed up and it was very fitting. Grandma had always been such a tiny woman; I got my figure from her. She always talked about her dress and how she wanted me to wear it. I never thought about marriage, I wanted to see my career take off first.

I closed the lid on her treasure chest and looked at everything around me. Grandma Grace lived a very fruitful like. She enjoyed people so much. Her important things lay around me; all of her fondest memories. I will take them and cherish them. I started wondering what things will fill my own treasure chest.

You only have one life to live. Make it a happy one. Don’t let life hold you down, always find the strength to get back up. Share with others all your fondest memories so they can carry them on. Start your own treasure chest and share with others the events that surround each item.