Searching for the Buried Treasure: It’s in Your Heart

When I was eight years old, I created a buried treasure adventure for my five cousins who were coming over for a visit. I gathered up the beautiful costume jewelry my mother had given me and placed the pieces in a blue leather cigarette case. I headed out the back door of my childhood home and down to the end of the dirt road to the big nut tree in the field, where I buried the jewels. I marked the spot with a rock and ran all the way home. Once inside, I grabbed a sheet of paper and drew a map to the treasure. I tore the edges of the paper and ironed it to make it look old. I was ready!

My cousins arrived a bit later and we all began to run around the yard. I loved it when they came for a visit, because we were close in age and had so much fun together. As we were running around, I raised the map above my head and shouted, “Look what I found!” They all came running and gathered around to see what it was. When they saw that it was a treasure map, we all took off down the dirt road running as fast as we could, full of excitement and anticipation. Out of breath, we gathered beneath the old nut tree and began digging madly in the dirt. When the leather cigarette case emerged, my cousins grabbed wildly at it and the sparkling jewels spilled out onto the ground. They gasped in awe and started screaming with excitement. “Buried treasure! We’re rich!”

As I relive that enchanted memory, I realize that I have carried that magical adventure with me throughout my life. It is the very essence of me. That visual and sensory memory is still alive in my life today. I see all women as having a buried treasure in their hearts – a beautiful chest full of sparkling and colorful jewels that have been forgotten about or cast aside as life came in and swept us away. The jewels are our passions and dreams, and our innate gifts and talents that we were born to share.

Where do we go to look for our truth? Inside our hearts. Many of us need to go on a journey to relocate the treasure chest and see what jewels are inside. We need to discover who we really are at our core. The jewels are the key to our joy and fulfillment in life. Reconnect with your own buried treasure and rediscover your purpose and passions. Adorn yourself in your jewels and wear them with confidence and pride.