There were some sweet moments today…met a dear friend for coffee to catch up after several weeks of absence. And it’s true, you know…

“A sweet friendship refreshes the soul.” ~Proverbs 27:9

We then ventured to a spring garage sale, a vast one at that. It was a local church’s fundraiser for a mission trip to Costa Rica. I’d heard they had old books (the garage sale, not Costa Rica…) so I quickly found the books to peruse when we arrived.

I have a fascination with old books, the learning and enjoyment that comes from reading, and that natural earthy old book smell of pages that have absorbed time.

I found them in a box under a table, buried under some newer ones, like someone tried to hide them or perhaps had simply been uninterested. Sadly, none there peaked my interest or were old enough simply to collect.

Did purchase a couple newer ones that had an historic air and story to tell….a recipe book compiled by the Italian families in my town. Recipes and photos from their immigrant relatives, the sons of Italy themselves. And a personal inscription in Italian, from Toni of course.

The other was also a collection of recipes, from country inns around Colorado, each recipe with a tidbit about the place it came from. I must admit, the creative cook in me is a little giddy to try these recipes and share their stories!

But the real surprise later this afternoon was when I saw my dad, he gave me two tarnished books that he’d found at the garage sale earlier that morning. Circa 1910 and 1911!

So this evening I happened upon a section entitled “The Wife,” from the Sketchbook works of Washington Irving. Intrigued by the title, yet I expected to not entirely agree with a man’s interpretation of a wife over 100 years ago. My second surprise today was the beautiful, eloquent, intimate way Irving illustrates the wife as an emotional support to her husband and their reciprocal relationship, each with strengths to help encourage the other.

So alas, today’s word wealth photo comes from that section. I find it strengthening, which is after all, what it means to be encouraged.

I find this to not only be (hopefully one day) true in marriage, but in my other relationships as well with friends and family. We each have a light to share, to shine, into the struggle, our own and others’.

Today I was reminded of the gift of friendship, the exchange of light. Both receiving another’s light and giving some of my own. All from a garage sale, and some 100+ year old words penned in England.

“…I remind you to fan into flame the gift from God that is within you…”
~2 Timothy 1:6