Keys To Happiness

The other day I was sifting through some clutter looking for some junk that I wanted to pass on to my grandsons. In the process, I found an uncovered oval tin, decorated with scenes of rabbits, flowers and butterflies – uncomfortably out of season for Christmas but certainly fitting for Easter. It had belonged to my mother and was full of locks, keys and key chains. I was saving them – just in case.

That’s the way it is with keys, you hang onto them because you just never know when you might need one. There was a lot of lock and key history in there. Keys were stamped with the names of Dexter, Hardlock, and Slaymaker.

Also in the tin was some history of my family. There was a key chain with the name of Barth on it.  Mom and Dad had a Barth motorhome our family had a lot of fun in traveling around. There was a key chain in the shape of a pink flower from the Northstar Inn Minneapolis. “I’ve been Pampered in Pink,” was stamped on the plastic.  Although I can’t say I remember being pampered in pink or purple, I do remember traveling into Minneapolis to stay at a hotel from time to time for a little vacation.

There was a key marked, “back door,” which hung in the garage to unlock the back door of our house (the front door was for guests and salesmen). As I got older, I would retrieve that key to let myself in after Mom and Dad were in bed.

I found a Briggs & Stratton key and one stamped Sears. I can’t say for sure, but I imagine they were for a snow blower and a lawn mower. In addition to taking care of our lawn and snow, Dad would make sure we took care of our neighbors in need as well.

There were keys to wind clocks, which reminds me that time does not stop even though a clock may; there were keys to fit in round holes and keys to fit in square holes. That’s the way it was at our home, all of us fit in; we never felt like a square peg in a round hole.

It was at home where I learned that even though we are presented with many choices, many doors to walk through, there are a few simple keys to a happy life if one would just take the time to learn them.

Spend time with your family.  Whether it’s camping, an overnight hotel stay or just staying home and playing a game, time spent with your kids will help them become well-adjusted adults.

As your children grow up, move out and on with their lives, make sure they know they are always welcome back.  Hide a key for them or give them the combination to the garage door.

There is nothing more secure than knowing you will always have a home.

Help out your neighbors by mowing their grass, shoveling their snow or sharing a meal. By the way, we all live in a big neighborhood.

I still think I will give the grandsons some trinkets to play with, but more importantly, I want to pass on some simple keys to live by.