Week 8

A picture of your most treasured item.

This week's prompt gave me pause for a minute.  I'm not one that wants to be attached to things, so to think of my most treasured item made me sit back in my chair for a minute and give it some serious thought.  As a believer, I most certainly treasure my Bible...all of them (I have quite a few here in the library). 

Shouldn't the Bible be my most treasured item?  

I also costume as a Jedi for fun, and my handmade lightsaber and Jedi robe
are things that are definitely beloved,

but is that something that I 'treasure'?

Then I thought about all my photos, which equate to years and years of memories.  G-d forbid, if the house were to catch fire, I would be absolutely frantic to get photos and digital media out of the house, to save the thousands of photos of family and friends...memories. 

But, are the photos really an item?

Then I started to think about identity.  What is the one thing I take with me everywhere, handle everyday and completely unique to me?  Something that those close to me are familiar with and identify with me alone.  Would that be my most treasured item?  Something that is perhaps not replaceable, something I would absolutely hate to lose or have destroyed.  Something I'm truly attached to and encompasses my identity in a way that nothing else can or does...

Yes.  This is it.  My most treasured item is my Hebrew ring I had made while on my first Israel pilgrimage.  It says 'Elisheva', which is my Hebrew name.  My beloved mother in law bought it for me out of the kindness of her heart with money she had gifted me for the trip.  I have loved it since the day I slipped it on my finger and have worn it with pride every day since.  It says who I am, who I serve, what I believe.  And, if by chance it outlasts my years, it will be passed on to my children as a family keepsake.

It is definitely my most treasured item, no question.