It was a way of life, and sometimes it made me crazy.

All that re-fixing, reheating, renewing,

I wanted just once to be wasteful.


Waste meant affluence. Throwing things away...

Meant you knew there'd always be more.



But then my Father died, and on that clear summer's night,

In the warmth of the hospital room, I was struck with the

pain of learning that sometimes there isn't anymore.

Sometimes, what we care about most gets

All used up and goes away...never to return.



So...while we have it...it's best we LOVE it...and care for it...

And fix it when it's broken...and heal it when it's sick.


This is true for marriage and old cars...

And children with bad report cards...

And dogs with bad hips...

And aging parents...and grandparents.


We keep them because they are worth it,

Because we are worth it....some things we keep.


Like a best friend that moved away,

Or a classmate we grew up with.



There are just some things that make life important,

Like people we know who are SPECIAL...

And so, we keep them close!


I received this from someone who thought I was a KEEPER...

And then I sent it to the people I think of in the same way.