Too often are the treasures of the present taken for granted until the heavy hand of time mercilessly sweeps them away. We wake up startled, as if from a comfortable sleep and feebly wish that we could have those precious years once more, and how we would savor every moment!
Hopefully these treasures are well known in their communities. Kind and unassuming, they are the last of the ‘old guard’; and although there are some who would seek to take their place, there are none who could replace the quiet greatness of our old school Texans. For when the last of those gentlemen and ladies pass out of this world there is sure to be a lonely void where they once stood.
Idleness is not in the nature of these fine members of our society. Since childhood these men and women have risen early, tended to the needs of others and worked faithfully at duties that most of us shirk. There is nothing weak or faint-hearted about these Texans, nor is it all grit and grind which makes them pillars of our state, but it’s a subtle mixture of God fearing gentility, hard working heartiness, which is much lacking in the newer generations. They are the sons and daughters of our grand state, born of the resilient pioneers of Old Texas, who settled here and worked with might and mane to forge homes and communities in the unforgiving wilderness.
Each generation of Texans has done pretty well for itself. Hard work and a fierce pride in state are still the hallmarks of a true Texan, but the wisdom of our forebears ought not to be forgotten. Seek out those local treasures, for they are not yet too rare to find easily. Take time to listen to the kind lady who everyone in town knows only as Momma, or the quiet gentleman respectfully known as Pop. They may be aged, but in their eyes you can still find the spark of the country belle and fun loving soldier.
It’s difficult to imagine the once strong and vitally energetic forced to only gaze sadly at the gardens they once tended themselves with much vigor and pleasure, or whittle at wooden trinkets where they once built homes. Truth be told, they still have much to offer us. We need only to listen and the treasures unfold before us. After all, that is the real inheritance of Texans.
Hopefully these treasures are well known in their communities. Kind and unassuming, they are the last of the ‘old guard’; and although there are some who would seek to take their place, there are none who could replace the quiet greatness of our old school Texans. For when the last of those gentlemen and ladies pass out of this world there is sure to be a lonely void where they once stood.
Idleness is not in the nature of these fine members of our society. Since childhood these men and women have risen early, tended to the needs of others and worked faithfully at duties that most of us shirk. There is nothing weak or faint-hearted about these Texans, nor is it all grit and grind which makes them pillars of our state, but it’s a subtle mixture of God fearing gentility, hard working heartiness, which is much lacking in the newer generations. They are the sons and daughters of our grand state, born of the resilient pioneers of Old Texas, who settled here and worked with might and mane to forge homes and communities in the unforgiving wilderness.
Each generation of Texans has done pretty well for itself. Hard work and a fierce pride in state are still the hallmarks of a true Texan, but the wisdom of our forebears ought not to be forgotten. Seek out those local treasures, for they are not yet too rare to find easily. Take time to listen to the kind lady who everyone in town knows only as Momma, or the quiet gentleman respectfully known as Pop. They may be aged, but in their eyes you can still find the spark of the country belle and fun loving soldier.
It’s difficult to imagine the once strong and vitally energetic forced to only gaze sadly at the gardens they once tended themselves with much vigor and pleasure, or whittle at wooden trinkets where they once built homes. Truth be told, they still have much to offer us. We need only to listen and the treasures unfold before us. After all, that is the real inheritance of Texans.
No comments:
Post a Comment