something beautiful

if you look past the dishes piled up in the sink, to the window overlooking the neighbor's used truck lot house, you might think that the mrs. tried (and failed) to be creative by imitating something she saw in a disgustingly-over-priced-obviously-faked-antique(but-you-still-want-everything-in-it-for-some-reason) catalogue. a small smooth stone with the word 'share' neatly printed in black sharpie sits on the window ledge.

although many of the mrs. creative endevors are indeed failures, this was not in the category of 'creative endevor'.

more correctly labled 'divine inspiration', the rock is a reminder that the things the mrs., the professor and their offspring have been blessed with are not to bless just this one family. but to potentially bless everyone the family happens to know.

the first two years in the little white house were lovely... but solitary. aside from family, the total number of times 'company' was invited over is an embarassing total of once. once in two years.
sure. sure.
there are a miriad of reasons excuses for why no one was ever invited over. settling in. crazy work schedules. no dishwasher. kitchen remodel. be assured the list could go on. and on.

then came the rock. a simple assignment from a woman's retreat the mrs. attended. pick a rock. wait openly for your message. lable the rock. indeed a message was laid heavily on the mrs. heart. of how
she might not have alot, but what she has is amazing. on paper it is not much. the monetary value is laughable modest. but there is so much more to a life than its monetary value.

how do you price a smile?
a laugh?
what price do you put on a new friendship?
a seasoned one?

you don't. you can't. because honestly, there would never be enough money to afford these things, and even if there was, they are not things that are made with money. they are made with openness, honesty, time, love and so. much. more.

the share rock has -literally and figuratively- lived in the heart of this house for almost two years. it has witnessed this family open its hearts and home to 'company' hundreds of times -if not more- than the first two years, and rest assured, this is just the begining of something beautiful.