Expensive vs. Priceless
We had a debacle in our house last night. When I arrived home from work, I walked into a disaster. Pax had lost his most treasured possession. You know, that one toy that brings a kid comfort. Most of us had one. It's the toy he always has with him when he's home. THE toy. Well, it was gone. We practically tore the house apart trying to find it. Alas, we did eventually find it.....in the most ridiculous place. His carelessness almost bit him.
The entire situation got me thinking about something. We live in a culture that tells us to covet, protect, and respect the expensive things in our lives. Cars, phones, jewelry, new shoes....the list could go on and on. We must take care of them.....with our life! Why? Because they are expensive. Expensive things must be honored. After all, money is the most important thing, right?
Conversely, there are things in our life that are priceless. Photos, videos, mementos, sentimental items, sensitive documents, etc. These things aren't necessarily worth much money, which is the problem. Since they aren't expensive, we sometimes value them differently. We don't protect and respect these things the same way. We're a bit loose with our handling and care of them. But it's impossible to replace them, no matter the cost.
I don't know about you, but I'd much rather have something expensive stolen, lost, or broken than lose a cheap but priceless item. This almost happened to us last week. We had a scare with Finn's new glasses. For a brief moment, it appeared he had lost them. Replacing them woudl have cost $400-$500. It was frustrating for sure, but I would much rather lose those glasses than lose one of my priceless items.
I frequently hear stories from people about how xyz priceless item was destroyed. Things happen, and sometimes our priceless items are tragically lost. However, I propose that one of the reasons this happens is because we're spending more time protecting and respecting the expensive things in our lives than the priceless things. We simply overlook them, and then lousy luck takes them out.
Pax's situation was a humbling reminder that we need to keep our priorities straight and realize what's most important. I've fallen short in this area at times, and I bet you have, too. One of my next steps is to inventory the priceless things in my life. I suspect there are gaps in how I care for and protect some of these possessions. Once I recognize where some of my deficiencies might be, it's time to correct them. I hope you do the same.
Expensive things can be replaced, for a price. Priceless things can't, no matter the price.