Saturday, July 4, 2009

Investment Counseling

My relationship investment counselor, Dakota Joe
Meet Dakota Joe, my faithful companion for almost three months now. He is a very sweet fellow and I am totally smitten. So far today he has chastised the cat, splashed me with muddy pond water, and tried to eat the butterfly I was about to photograph…all before 8:oo in the morning.
Why do I put up with all the inconvenience? Dakota Joe and I have an agreement. I’ll love and provide for him even when it is a challenge and he’ll love me back no matter what. He will sit with me when I’m lonely, listen when I need to talk and protect me when I am frightened. It’s a simple arrangement and it’s an investment for both of us.
We think so much about investments in financial terms, wanting to secure our future and “put something aside” for rainy days. In the end, though, the most important investments we make are in our relationships. Deposits into the lives of others have eternal value and, as an added bonus, they are impervious to inflation, stock market crashes, and unemployment. In fact, challenging circumstances have the potential to make our relationships stronger as we learn to rely on each other more for encouragement and comfort.
We often do not realize how much our future depends on the strength of our relational investments. We are designed to love and be loved and our poverty in this area causes us to seek comfort in things that ultimately disappoint. Our possessions and our bank accounts cannot fill our need for companionship. (Neither can food, drugs, shopping, or anything else…) So today do something to secure your future; invest in the life of someone you love. Encourage, comfort, and support them. Make the decision to love them no matter what, even if they splash you with pond water or try to eat your butterfly.

6 comments:

  1. What a wonderful train of thought. You're so right; money & things come & go, but emotional investments are the only ones that payoff in the ways that truly matter. Assuming you choose your attachments well (something I haven't always done).

    I'm going to take your advice and make an emotional investment right now. I'm picking up the phone.

    I love Dakota's precious face, those soulful eyes! Maybe you should try to eat a butterfly too... he might know something we don't ;-)

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  2. Speaking as one who splashes pond water and eats butterflies, I appreciate the added effort. It's people like you that keep people like me grounded. And I like to think that people like me help people like you take a bite out the occasional butterfly. ;-)

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  3. What a wonderful and well written post! I found you over at Drawn to the Sea and so glad I could read this one! So right. Money doesn't bring us happiness but relationships will mold us into beautiful human beings!

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  4. Your words, art, pictures, and you (most importantly) touch me in a way I cannot even begin to put into words. What a gifted person you are. But, more importantly, what a precious gift you are to me. I love you so much. And I treasure our very, very special friendship. I miss you so, so much!!!!! Becky

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  5. You are a woman after my heart. I rescue, and you are one very special human being.
    I found you through Drawn to the Sea. Had to come and have a peak.
    Dakota has a special home now.
    Happy Blue Monday
    Love Claudie
    xo

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  6. You have expressed what life is all about in just a few paragraphs and photos and touched my heart. Lovely blog.

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Your lovely comments make my day!

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