Relationships Are What Make You Rich

My husband and I are not rich in material things but when it comes to relationships we are blessed beyond measure.  Yesterday we had a spur of the moment gathering of young people in our home once again.  One of our hanai children showed up here looking for another of our hanai kids.  He finally found her at her home and they both came walking back up here.  My own children were not here mind you and yet these wonderful young people came "home" to us.  I quickly called my own kids who packed it up and drove out here (a half an hour drive away for them) just to spend some time together with everyone.  Then, last night, one of my closest friends who I love like a sister, came up to visit and we (my husband, her and I) laughed into the late hours of the night.  She was here on a visit and it just felt so good to be together again. :)  I felt so rich!  Not the lots of money in the bank, fancy cars and vacations that can all be gone in a second rich, but the kind of richness that can only be found in close relationships with others where there is a mutual love and respect.  

This Spring and Summer have been a wonderful time of "riches" for us because we have been able to spend so much time with friends and family and celebrate some of life's biggest and most special moments.  We have had the birth of our sweet grandson, our son Josh marrying our newest daughter-in-law Jessica and our family and friends coming from near and far to celebrate these events.  Our home has been filled with young people playing games, eating and just enjoying being together.  There have been water fights with the rubber duckies that I got to go in the hot tub not knowing that they squirted water out of their beaks. ;)  I have had young children to teens picking raspberries here at my home.  When we lost our beloved Sasha dog to illness, the outpouring of love we were shown touched us to our core.  


The things that really matter in life are not "things" at all.  They are relationships.  We share a close relationship with our now grown children, and our new grandson that many people cannot understand and I find that sad.  We enjoy being together, encourage one another, and are there for each other.  We have amazing friends that we love like family and would do anything for and they would and have done the same for us.  I would not trade my "riches" in relationships for any amount of monetary gain.  I know where my true riches are...in my relationships and they mean the world to me.