I Wish I Had Enjoyed….

I do not usually allow myself to regret mistakes. I just try not to repeat them but I do regret something I did on Valentine’s Day when I was sixteen years old. I received a beautiful little milk glass box as a Valentine from a “Secret Admirer.” Thinking back it was probably from my parents but I, at the time, presumed it was from a boy. Instead of enjoying it and cherishing it, I got myself in a stew because I didn’t know who had sent it to me. I wasted an entire day of my teenage life wondering who had sent me the precious gift. I didn’t enjoy it or appreciate the thoughtfulness of the gift. I just complained about not knowing who had sent it to me. Finally Mother rightfully got upset with me for not only ruining my own day but everyone else’s day around me by my constant questioning who had sent me the gift. She said, “I bet you won’t get such a pretty gift next year because you didn’t appreciate it this year!” She was right. No one sent me a Valentine the next year!

The beautiful milk glass box has been lost. All I have of it is the memory that I wasted a whole day of my life worrying and fretting over who sent it to me instead of enjoying it as I should have done.

I did, however, learn a lesson. I learned to appreciate a gift even if it is given anonymously. It was given with a desire for me to enjoy it. I needed to honor the donor by appreciating it whether I knew who gave it to me or not. What a silly waste of a potentially beautiful day!

Little milk glass box, wherever you are, I finally appreciate you and the lesson you taught me. Enjoy every day and don’t allow something trivial to destroy it! Life is short and beautiful. We all need to enjoy every moment we can. Cherish every day for each day is a momentously precious gift from Our Heavenly Father!

Until next time, please treasure each and every moment.

Love from your friend Hope