The Umbrella

We live in a wind tunnel here in Dutch Valley.  I have lost 3  outdoor umbrellas to the wind.  It happened again this week.  This time it was my newest and prettiest!  One of the spokes was broken so it is beyond repair.  My nephew, Michael, gave me an umbrella and a whole outdoor set of table and chairs, and that umbrella  is still intact.  The newer one was turquoise (my latest favorite color.)  The old one is red (another favorite color). 


I told the guys that I needed to throw the turquoise one into the dumpster.  When I walked outside, I saw that the turquoise one was still in the table, and the red one was gone.  I asked where my red umbrella was and Tommy said "in the dumpster!"  "OH NO!", I said, " Run over to the warehouse quickly and see if it's still there.  Take the turquoise one and throw it when you go."


Fortunately the red one was still there and all was well.  John boy said, " what we have here is a failure to communicate."  Tommy said, "there has to be a lesson in this.."  I think there is.


Sometimes something that is new and not faded will fool us...like my turquoise umbrella.  Underneath the bright color, there is brokenness.  Sometimes beyond repair.  At the same time, there is the older umbrella with a more faded exterior.  The looks are no longer there, but underneath, the frame is still intact and the use for which it was intended is still strong.


As Tommy and I were driving to the store earlier in the day, before I saw that my old faded umbrella had been thrown away, I said to him..."I hate looking in the mirror.  Seems like I age more every day."  He said "I don't see that.  I see someone who can still lift banana boxes full of cans." 


So, I guess the lesson in all this is don't be too quick to discard something just because it doesn't look good!   Tommy said to add a p.s.  Here it is.  PAY ATTENTION! 

​And your son (who is posting this) is adding another p.s.  YOU LOOK BEAUTIFUL!