Many of you know - those that have read my blog for some time, that
my Great Aunt Margaret passed away in February. She was 100 years old and I did a blog about her.
The day before the funeral, I was told that I was a Co - Executor for her estate. For the past 4 Months I have had the pleasure and duty to go through her things to settle her estate.
For those of you who have ever done this, it's a daunting task. She lived in a 100 year old farm house on 89 acres in Fayetteville TN.
You can imagine the work of going through YEARS of stuff. She kept every birthday card she ever received. We opened every card and letter to make sure we didn't miss anything. We've found some money but we've also found some treasures.
Sometimes I bring a box of letters home to go through them when I'm not tired. Just the other day, this poem fell out of a book that I was looking at.
It seems that We are all living is some kind of turmoil right now. Read this. It will put a smile on your face.
Drinking from a Saucer
I’ve never made a fortune
And it’s probably too late now.
But I don’t worry about that much.
I’m happy anyhow.
As I go along life’s journey
I’m reaping better than I sowed.
I’m drinking from my saucer
Cause my cup has overflowed.
Ain’t got a lot of riches.
Sometimes the goings rough.
But I got folks that love me.
That makes me rich enough.
I just thank God for His blessings
And the mercy He bestowed.
I’m drinking from my saucer
Cause my cup has overflowed.
And I remember times when things went wrong
And my faith got a little thin.
But then all at once the dark clouds broke
And the old sun broke through again.
So Lord, help me not to gripe
About the tough rows I have hoed.
I’m drinking from my saucer
Cause my cup has overflowed.
And if God gives the strength and courage
When the way gets steep and rough,
I won’t ask for other blessings.
I’m already blessed enough.
And may I never be too busy
To help another bear his load.
Then I’ll keep drinking from my saucer
Cause my cup has overflowed.
Author unknown
God Bless!
Connie Harvey helps Buyers and Sellers with their Nashville TN Real Estate needs.
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Contact Connie at 615-661-7800 x 1300 or via email HarveyC@realtracs.com .
Connie Harveyis a local agent with Pilkerton Realtors, serving home buyers and sellers in Nashville, TN, Brentwood TN, and Franklin TN. Let her help you realize your Real Estate goals. She can be reached at 615-371-2474.
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Connie,
When my parents passed away I remember how hard it was to go through their things - but, oh how I treasure that time and the little insights I now have.
What a wonderful little poem to save and share with us. Your Aunt must have been a special person.
Thanks for sharing!
Patty
Connie - So much to think about in one poem. Thanks for the wonderful post.
Patty - one of the intersting things about the whole process has been getting to know my cousins. Our parents were cousins but we didn't know each other. We were all in different states. So besides what we find and learn, we have different stories of Aunt Margaret while we were growing up. Very fun.
Irene - I've read the poem several times. It's very sweet.
Connie, I think we all would have loved your Aunt Margaret. Her poem is priceless.
This statement says a lot about you.
I have had the pleasure and the duty to go through her things to settle her estate.
I think your Great Aunt left you a bigger blessing than any amount of money could ever give you with that poem. I would frame that and put that in your living room if I were you. That is something you need to look at and read every day as a reminder of how blessed we really are.
What a treasure from a 100 year old farmhouse, from a 100 year-old lifestory of your great Aunt Margaret... and even moreso since you've shared it here with us. Your story is precious...and the poem she savoured, like every one of the saved birthday cards...shows us the shining stars that animated her joy and wisdom, gratitude, beauty and grace...we are so blessed by these lights that shine in our lives---and on our computer screens :-)
Margaret - I went back to comment on your comment about last years blog. We commented back and forth to each other for several weeks. We even talked about my Aunt who had her 100th Birthday last August. Time goes by so fast.
I can honestly say that she was loved and admired by many.
Todd - you are more on target than you can ever know. The new memories that have been created with my cousins, who have been helping with the process, has been priceless. Good idea to frame it and reread it. It's so easy to get bogged down in our day to day life and forget how blessed we really are.
Mara - We called our days of sorting and cleaning a "treasure hunt". I've done a photo documentation for the family to be able to revisit this spring with us.
She had left a list of most of her antiques and jewelry with names by them. We are having a family reunion at the farm on her Birthday this August. All the nieces and nephews will be able to pick from the remaining things. We'll draw numbers. When it's your turn, you pick anything you want. It was how she wanted it done.
Connie--Thanks so much for sharing this poem with AR, but I feel it was meant for me. I feel so blest with life so far and look forward to more sips from my saucer.
I, too, have been in your shoes, but under slightly different circumstances. At 86, my mother, is slowly going through each drawer, shelf and closet in the home she & my father bought in 1950. Once a month I travel to her house to visit and look through the mementos and treasures of a lifetime. On my last visit she pulled out large wooden box my father brought home from World War II. At the end of the visit I lovingly put the box back on the same shelf. It will be there when I have the 'duty & honor' of disposing of her estate.
Mary - What a blessing to get to go through the things with her. We have found so many things that I wish I could ask her about. What's sad is there are so many things that you wish you could keep but have no place to put!