Old Things

I love things that are old. Not old and ornate and fancy (although I can appreciate the craftsmanship and beauty of them), but rather old and worn and rustic. The thought that someone else lived with them - really lived, not just took them out on special occations, appeals to me. I ask Art to make things for me that look old, because I think that they have so much character. Why is that?

I was reading in a magazine the other day, and there was a couple that was building a house on land that had been in her family since 1871. They wanted the house to look original to the property, to look like a cabin that her great-great-grandfather would have built. Can you imagine, having something in your family for 130+ years? I wonder if this land is something that they hold very dear, if it's like a millstone around their neck, or if it's simply something they take for granted. I wonder if her great-great-grandfather thought about this land and how great it would be for his life and the lives of his children, or if he dreamt about impacting the lives of his great-great-granchildren... I want to not only impact my children's lives, but the lives of my grandchildren and great-grandchildren. So often I am too short-sighted. Thinking only of the immediate future, rather than future generations. Just trying to get through a day or week, rather than thinking about the long-term effects I as a mother can have.

How great to leave an inheritance to our children, but even greater, is my desire is to leave them a legacy. A legacy of a woman who loved the Lord, her husband and children, friends and family. A legacy of a marriage which did more than survive (although that is commendable these days!), but rather, that thrived! A legacy of love and joy and peace....