My Mother's Pearls

         My mother left me pearls of wisdom and knowledge.
Her words of encouragement and advice glow in my mind.

The stories she told me are still so vivid in my thoughts.
She spoke to me in song and entertained me with her humor.
My courage was tested by pranks she performed at random.
She taught me how to look at the world, and study people.
Her insight to situations and problem solving was phenomenal.
    I learned the value of detail and small things through the
understanding she shared with me. I realized that big is not always
better and all that shines is not gold. She always admonished me.
" Son your to young now but one day you will understand.
Make haste while the sun is shining but don't rush to get old.
You'll be old soon enough."
I was in a hurry to grow up, and do the things grown folks do.
  The bible says, and I quote, " Train a child in the way he should
go, and when he is old he will not depart from it."
   The treasure of her pearls have ancient value.
I have been enriched by the those pearls that I carry in my heart.
They guide me and point out the direction I should take.
   Those pearls sparkle from inside of me and reflect outwardly.
I use them and spend their value in life.
They buy me friendship and connect me to important situations.
  You see!.. in society you sell yourself and convince others of
who you are by the content of your character. That inner value spills
out for the world to see. What has been invested in you will eventually
pay dividends. Mother is gone now but I keep those pearls polished
an on display. I know that they will never loose their value and I will
never trade them in.

                             Ron Dove Revised 1/1/2015