Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Gratitude

Last week, my fifteen-year-old daughter Treasure wanted to have a tea party with her sister Tia and me. We had tea biscuits with creamed honey, got out the dainty cups, saucers and fancy dessert bowls, and used a tea kettle that looks like a black cat. While we drank our tea on the patio in our back yard, (green tea with honey and lemon for me, black chai for the girls) we talked about lots of things—some serious but mostly silly—while our two little dogs lay in the extra patio chairs and waited patiently for us to finish so they could have the leftover biscuits.

Here are the pictures we took:






I don’t know what made Treasure want to do it, but I’m so glad we did.

Yesterday, a fifteen-year-old girl was accidentally shot in the head by one of her best friends—another fifteen-year-old girl. One is now dead, and the other was taken to the juvenile detention center and charged with manslaughter. Both girls have gone to school with my daughter Treasure since elementary school.

All day long, I kept thinking about these two families and how devastated they must be. Other times when I’ve heard about tragedies like this on the news, although I certainly feel sorrow for the families, it doesn’t hit home quite as much as this time. Every time I looked at my precious daughter today, I had to stop and thank God that this horrific accident didn’t happen to her, and I had to hug her and tell her how much I love her.

We shouldn’t wait for something terrible like this to make us appreciate the priceless gifts that our children are.

Hug your kids every single day. And if they want you to have a tea party with them or go play in the sprinkler with them or watch funny videos on YouTube or make cookies or go shopping for purple toenail polish or whatever, no matter how trivial it may seem or how busy you are, take the time to do it.

Because you can’t go back and do it after it’s too late.


~Stay true to yourself and your dreams will come true.

13 comments:

  1. So sad. I felt tears come on as I read your post. My daughter and I have had some rocky times, but she came back and is now her old self. I'm so thankful she's here and she's got her whole like ahead of her with the past far behind. She lost a friend to tragedy a few days ago. Life is too short not to treasure those special moments like tea parties and baking cookies in the kitchen.

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  2. Anonymous4:31 AM

    My best times have been playing with the kids. I ate lunch at school with all three of them. As of late August, we are going to Pa. to see the only one that is out of state.

    I now babysit for my granddaughter (six months old), every chance I get. She is a trip! Looks like it's time to write a blog post about twidget (Kaydence Callista) and the kids.

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  3. Joyce -

    I am very sorry to hear your daughter had to experience such a tragedy and my heart goes out to those girls' families.

    Sounds like you have two wonderful daughters who treasure their mother.

    Best wishes!

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  4. What a poignant observation! We're all so busy living our lives that many of us don't take the time out to appreciate just being with our children. And Treasure is a great name for a child!

    Jacqueline Seewald
    THE DROWNING POOL, Five Star/Gale 2009
    PMS: POISON, MURDER, SATISFACTION
    L&L DREAMSPELL 2009
    THE INFERNO COLLECTION, Five Star hardcover, Wheeler large print

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  5. My heart goes out to those suffering parents. Being a parent never stops, either. Some of the best times now are having the kids come home, watching movies together, sitting around the table and sharing the memories we made when they were younger. Joyce, you are so right. As they go on with their own lives, the memories live on for them. I'm so grateful we made those memories, the picnics, the trips, the fishing, all of it.

    Allison Knight
    "A Treausre For Sara"
    A romantic romp through
    the pre-gold rush Yukon!

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  6. Anonymous10:46 AM

    Sad things happen to us during our lifetime, we can only hope we learn and grow from our experiences, bad and good. So sad, and I am sorry your daughter had to experience death in such a brutal way...hugs to each of you...Bo

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  7. Anonymous3:33 PM

    How very sad, Joyce. I don't understand why such things happen but I guess we're not supposed to. I love your daughter's name. And the tea party is the greatest.

    Your website is in good taste.

    God Bless you and your family.
    Pee Wee

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  8. I'm not a parent, but the loss of a young life diminishes us all. All that promise and hope -- gone in a moment.

    Thank God your girls are safe. Give them a hug, and give yourself one too.

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  9. Definitely makes one consider what they have. I'd venture to say that it's not restricted to just kids, but anyone a person is close to, whether that be a child, a parent, a spouse, or a sibling (or anyone else for that matter). We should wait until it's too late to enjoy the time we have, because we never know when it will be taken from us.

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  10. Joyce, please give Treasure a big hug from me. My son lost a friend to fire when in kindergarten--I know some say I am overprotective, but I need to knowq when he leaves this house, the last words he hears me say are "I love you". Life can be so uncertain--and over in a split second :-(

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  11. Sure brought back memoories, Joyce!

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  12. You so elegantly hit the nail on its head. We too often take the precious and wonderful gift of our children for granted. Thanks for a reminder to enjoy them every minute that we can and create memories for all of us.

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  13. Thank you for a wonderful blog and reminding us of our precious gifts we have daily.

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