Do you have a stash of treasures? Trinkets from childhood, fabric scraps from special outfits… precious, tangible reminders of a moment or a person you don’t want to forget? I do, and today I want to share a few with you.

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I can hear your thoughts.

You’re right. It’s a collection of teeth. My daughter’s. I just couldn’t bring myself to throw them out as she lost them, and I now have every one of her baby teeth in this silk-lined box given to me by a former student. Almost hidden by the teeth is a ring my father-in-law sent all the way from Peru – a wedding gift for me when I married his only child, Alexis. I could leave it there, but you may wonder about the right side of the box. Those are rocks. I’m sure all of you have taken a walk with a child, who noticed the most perfect stone, just lying on the ground. I kept the ones my daughter gave me. They’re in the box. The necklace next to them really goes along with the next photo…

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Weeks after my grandma died, I found myself alone in her garage, going through boxes of things. To me, everything seemed precious. Have you experienced this? All of those dusty objects are suddenly your last chance to connect with a person you loved. Boxes of letters and clothing and photos become your only way to learn about this person and the past. I wanted to keep everything, lock it away, and go through it very slowly.

Since this wasn’t possible, the things I did keep became very important to me. Among them were a an old navy song book that belonged to my great uncle and a yellowed envelope containing hair (a bit creepy, I know, but also a tangible link to someone I never met – my grandmother’s mother.) The necklace in my silk-lined box belonged to this side of the family – one of a few treasures I keep to link me to them.

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Gifts from dad were and are rare, which makes them special. Once or twice, dad flew from Canada to California to visit his family, and when he came back, he brought along something for me. I felt so excited when I saw my name on these things. A gift chosen just for me! By my dad! So special.

Now you’ve seen things I share with no one. Treasures. I keep my favourite things tucked away. Safe. Because they cannot be replaced and they are precious to me.

I’d like to leave you with a thought.

If you pry open the hand of God, you will find that He, also, has a treasure cradled in His palm. A favourite thing. Precious. Irreplaceable.

It’s you.