The Treasure Chest

In every home there is a treasure chest. The trick is to know where to look to find it. This treasure is all around us everyday. It’s not hidden under the rug, in the basement, in the attic….it is right in front of our eyes. Each member of every family contributes over the course of a lifetime to the treasure chest, knowingly and unknowingly. What is this treasure chest? Family knowledge that has accumulated and been passed down from generation to generation.

Grandma and Grandpa have lived their lives moving from stage to stage, which has brought them to where they are now. What they have experienced and seen is priceless. They know the pitfalls, the successes and failures. The Moms and Dads have also had their share of ups and downs….all that knowledge at our fingertips, and so few of us take the time to touch it, digest it, and use it, yet, each weekend we will wander through bookstores, looking for that special collection of words that is going to transform our lives….while all the while that knowledge is sitting right at home, waiting for us to open the cover and read. Who better can understand what life can throw at us, then those who have already gone through the majority of it? If we could just one night load the tape recorder, press record, and ask the questions…what jewels could spring forth? We turn on our television sets, listen to salespeople telling us that if we do this or buy that we will be happier….when across the couch sitting there could be a guide to help us find the high road to happiness and peace.
We all have our differences…we may have numerous agreements with Grandma and Grandpa, or Mom and Dad….but in many cases they have “been there” and “done that.” We may not totally agree with their advice, but many times somewhere in the conversation is that one line that fires out at us like a lightning bolt, that changes our perspective and vision of the future. The treasure chest sitting there, where everyone around it has the key. All it takes is that hand to place it in the lock and turn it.

Each family has a member who is an expert at something. It could be money, crafts, cooking, or electronics, etc. One can only imagine what can happen if all these experts are acknowledged and pooled together. Of course, we would have to suppress our egos at knowing that we don’t know everything, but after that, the experts would freely contribute their years of knowledge on their subject of expertise. A group of people made up of family members who share information…a treasure chest indeed. All it takes is one individual to start the process in motion, and one would be very surprised the level of excitement that encircles a family that is out to solve some fundamental problems that afflict them all. We share more than just DNA with our loved ones….but a history of life experiences.

Open the treasure,