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Sunday, April 7, 2013

My Nightstand, My Life?

By Debby Thrailkill

I have noticed that I use the word “Fun” a lot. I like to have fun, to bring fun to others. I try to be in the moment more these days. I am in the stage of life where I am hot pretty much all of the time. People I spend time with spend their time wearing sweaters, in SoCal. Time and Fun, are both precious to me. One of the most interesting pieces on my nightstand is an hourglass. Crystal and tall and filled with blue sand, I bought it so that I would make a better effort to leave for work on time, but soon discovered that it will only measure my hour if I remember to turn it over.  Anyways, Joe told me to be succinct and clear with my message, so back to it. I wondered if my nightstand… and possibly yours…are indicators of who we are and of what is precious to us. I’ve been doing a lot of self-reflection, and wondering about the footprint I am leaving. Could my nightstand offer the key to understanding what I am all about? Let’s take a look….

On top of my nightstand is a French memo board, with photos of all the people I love the most pinned to it in a hodgepodge but artsy sort of way. Most prominent are pictures of my family…children and grandchildren (its, OK…I’ve been carded every year to date!), husband, parents, and grandparents. Also fastened to the board is a miniature elf, made of colored felt that used to hang on my beloved Grandmother’s Christmas tree. The elf reminds me of everything that feels so wonderful from my past.
 
My hope and faith is there, read silently each morning, The Daily Bible in Chronological Order. In Him, I pray for protection and strength, wisdom and grace. I am thankful for those who have led me down this path; my Mom for taking little me to church, Pastors Don Kutz, Lori Souder and Brad Fogal, who have preached His word and represented our faith at the important occasions in our lives, and to my husband for leading our family in our faithful lives.
 
Of course there are the essentials (my water bottle, lip gloss, a hairclip to pile my hair in a messy bun on top of my head to cool down, eyeglasses…and I hate to admit it …the TV remote). Also, a stack of three VS rewards cards. I am hoarding Victoria Secret reward cards, so I can shop with abandon online for all my favorite and colorful spring things, and rub off the secret code from the back of the cards, revealing all the money I’ve saved just for shopping! And, a card Joseph gave me, one that makes me laugh and feel special, a Hoops and Yoyo Hallmark card.


My SCO nametag sits in the middle…as it is in my life. South County Outreach (SCO) is a local charity that we have been honored to be a part of for 20 years. At SCO, families are fed, taught, supported. Others are given the opportunity to help those in need. Have a gift? Give it at SCO. Need a gift, come find it at SCO. I could go on about the founder being an Angel on earth, starting a nonprofit at 70 years of age, all we have gained from giving, but I digress. See www.sco-oc.org. for more information. Back to my nightstand.…

Inside my nightstand is a beautiful box covered with seashells that holds the tiniest trinkets from my life. It is what I would grab as I was running and away from a fire, earthquake, or a tsunami! It wouldn’t mean anything to anyone, but its contents mean everything to me.

Finally, I have a wooden frame with paint printed letters on it. I aspire to achieve its message: Think Deeply, Speak Gently, Love Much, Laugh a lot, Work Hard, Give Freely, and Be Kind. I go to bed and wake up reading this, and hope that I can leave this footprint wherever I go. What does your nightstand reveal about you? Now, go have some fun today.
 

Good for the body is the work of the body,
and good for the soul is the work of the soul,
and good for either is the work of the other.
                         ~Henry David Thoreau

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