The Treasure Trove of Trash

This is what I wrote to my friend back in June '09 regarding present circumstances. Sorting through things....it's hard to know what to keep....to know what is truly valuable.

We accumulate so many things during our lives.
Sand in a bottle
Ashes in an urn
Joy in the heart
Regrets in the soul

What do we throw away?
What do we keep?
Sand in the bottle?
A special vacation. A perfect moment 15 years ago.
Now, what is it but a bunch of dirt in a glass container?

Ashes in an urn
A loved one to keep close?
But it can’t throw ball, cook a Thanksgiving dinner or fetch a stick

So what are these things worth? They’re trash. Right?

For me, it’s a treasure trove of trash.
It helps keep me grounded as
to what is important in my life. I
t helps me to retain memory and, in
essence, love.

So, even though it may consist of dirt and ashes,
it is important to me.
It is part of my life.

If we are lucky,
most of us have had our share of joy in life.
But,it’s not tangible.

Joy in the heart is not defined by the objects we possess.
And, the true definition is not the same for all.
Is true joy a lie?
No, it’s just elusive at times.
We have skewed expectations.

When times are down, however,
it’s hard to cling onto the joy in the heart.
We dig through the trash,
and even a bulldozer can’t clear the debris.
It’s immense and it’s deep.
And unfortunately, it accumulates.

Which brings me to regrets of the soul
from places that cannot easily be reached.
Anyone without regrets either is
a psychopath or is extremely unlucky.

Regrets lead to soul searching.
Regrets lead to growth.
So, what do I throw away, what do I keep?
I think I’ll keep the bulldozer at bay…..at least for today.