Earlier this year I was with my two kids in the park. They were playing in the sand box. Massimo was digging a deep hole very diligently. Suddenly he yelled, “Treasure! Lot’s and lots of treasure! I found some!”
He was looking at a pile of rocks and some broken pieces of plastic, but he truly was excited to find his “treasure”.
Another kid nearby, who was about 7 years old, looked at Massimo and said, “That’s not treasure. That’s just a pile of junk.”
My son looked at the older kid and then he looked at his pile of rocks and broken plastic and he proudly said, “No this is my treasure.” and he continued to dig so he could find more hidden items.
I was really pleased to see my young child use his imagination and to see that he had the confidence to stick to his guns. In his eyes he found something valuable and that is all that mattered.
At a young age he acted more adult than most older people who would just agree with someone who looks older or seems to have more authority. I really hope he keeps this four year old sensibility to his adulthood.
Observing my kids teaches me and makes me wiser everyday.
When I told my mother-in-law, Nonna Anna, the story of Massimo and his treasure, she got a little misty eyed. She said that years ago, a few months before here father died, he went to Connecticut for a visit. He traveled from Italy to the USA even if he knew that soon he would be dead because he was ill.
Nonna Anna and her father (Nonno Nazzareno) were digging and organizing her garden. In the spot where he was digging he hit something large and hard. In Italian he said, “Anna, I found treasure!” (Ho trovato un tesoro!)
What Nonno Nazzareno found was a very large boulder size rock. At first Nonna Anna was confused at his proclamation of “treasure” then she thought about it and agreed that they truly did find something special. That was the last visit that Michael’s (my husband) family had with Nonno Nazzareno as he died shortly after his return to Italy.
Whenever the family looked at the boulder size rock they were reminded of “the treasure” and it became a symbol of Nonno Nazzareno’s farewell visit.
It is amazing how Massimo and his Great Grandfather never met, but their reaction was exactly the same to the treasures they found.
Treasure is in the eye of the beholder. The more simple the treasure, the happier you usually find yourself.
I hope you have a great day!
I Choose Happy Now 