Treasure

This popped up as the verse of the day recently on an app I use. We had just spent most of the day visiting with two of the kids and one of our grandsons, so it was absolutely perfect timing.

The three-day weekend blasted past us and was over before I was ready. The main reason it went by so quickly, though, is because we had such a beautiful time. Nothing wild and crazy, no fancy trips, no huge plans…nope, even better. My husband and I enjoyed time together, date night, then also had fun visiting with the kids and holding, spoiling, and loving on our younger grandson.

My husband sat with one long leg stretched out so he could bounce our grandson on his knee. Our grandson loved it, looking up at him with a huge smile on his little face, laughing. My husband joked that I can’t bounce him as well because my feet don’t touch the floor, which is kind of true, but don’t tell him I admitted that.

I took a few pictures of them together. Our grandson’s face is slightly blurry, since he was bouncing at the time, but the happiness on his face is perfectly clear. Our daughter-in-law took a few pictures and sent them to us later: our grandson standing in between us, or sitting on my lap and curiously examining my necklace.

I have always loved watching my husband with the kids, but there’s something extra magical about watching him with our grandkids. Even if his back hurts, even if he worked hard all day, he forgets all of that to get on the floor, wrestle with the older grandson, lift the younger one high in the air, whatever it takes to put a smile on their face and make them laugh.

He is loving, giving, gentle, protective. Seeing him as a grandfather just gives me one more reason to love him even more than I thought was possible.

My treasure is him, the kids, our grandkids, our home, my brothers, my family. And that absolutely is where my heart lives, where I find my joy and my peace, and all of my love.

Date Night

This was a long and very busy work week. I practically ran to the door at quitting time, sneaking out before anyone else could ask me a question, send me an email, or bring anything to my desk. I was more than ready to get our weekend started!

We have a lot to do this weekend, too, but something we always make time for is our Saturday night date night. It’s been a tradition for as long as I can remember. When the kids were little, it was our family evening out. As they all grew up, it became just me-and-him time. It’s nice to look forward to it all week, talking about where we will go, and whose turn it is to pick.

I was curious, and I am a data person, so I looked it up: less than half of married couples go on regular date nights. The couples that do have date nights enjoy significantly happier marriages, better communication, more commitment, and greater sexual satisfaction. No argument here!

Standing Back Up

The end of the year left me reflecting on 2025. Last spring, I started working out, improving my eating habits. I lost weight steadily for months…until the anniversary of my mom’s death. Then it was like I lost all direction, hope, or drive, and just couldn’t get it back. The downward spiral was rapid, out of control, and heartbreaking.

By now, I have gained back about half of what I lost. Guess I should chalk up 2025 as a failure, then, right?

Actually, no. Because while the last few months didn’t register much positive progress on the scale, I was frustrated and demanded answers. Why do I keep doing this to myself? Why did I fall apart so disastrously, three years after my mom passed away? I knew I couldn’t stop it from happening again if I didn’t understand it.

Painful as it was, I forced myself to sit down with those dark clouds, to face them, to hold them, examine them from every angle. When it hurt, I didn’t pull away. I kept digging, pushing, prying.

It was like excising a wound. And it was long overdue. It wasn’t easy. It didn’t happen overnight. But it did finally happen: the difficult introspection I needed to finally stop letting my mother’s death tear me to pieces.

It’s hard to put into words. It’s also intensely personal. But I wanted to share at least this little bit, because I strongly believe that no change is significant or lasting without self-insight, self-awareness, and brutal honesty. Most people avoid that, to some degree, either partially or totally. But I knew that any effort I make will be tenuous at best until I put myself through that uncomfortable work.

I finished the year peacefully. Quietly. No drumrolls, fanfare, grand announcements. I was tired, but a good tired, like the exhausted but satisfied feeling after hiking a steep mountain and finally reaching the breathtaking view at the top.

Outwardly, maybe not much has changed at all. Inwardly? That’s a completely different story. The fog has cleared. The burden is off my shoulders. I have stood back up. And something tells me that his time, nothing is going to stop me, because I am finally and thankfully out of my own way.

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