The Secret(s)

There's a lot of talk about a little DVD making a splash by that same name. To say it is a short course in empowerment is to underestimate its value and purpose, but let's start there. For me, it was a reaffirmation of the power to redirect your life by practicing conscious thought. God already encourages us to know the participatory joy and rewards of mining for inner strength. The Secret just ratchets it up a notch or two.

I wasn't mulling that over as I approached the task of cleaning up and organizing a big box of photos. Sitting cross legged on the floor, I began sorting by topic and year, thinking of making album piles for my sons, my brother, myself. Midway through the several hundred pictures, the memories suddenly became overwhelming and all organizational hope was lost.

A snapshot of my mother-in-law smiled proudly as she held my eldest on his first birthday. Remember how how hot it was and how the barbecue smoked and we set up that little plastic pool on the lawn so everybody could stick their feet in it? My eyes welled up with tears at the sound of the voice I had not heard in over a decade, the memory was so fresh and sharp.

There were pictures of my husband and me on a catamaran off the coast of Puerta Vallarta and, another time, under a Banyon tree in Hawaii, smiling and carefree. How glad I was to remember moments like that as the marriage now sits in decay.

I moved on, looking at the terrified glee as my kids headed into their first solo roller coaster ride, and seeing their tender expressions on that Christmas morning when Santa gave them pet rats. I laughed aloud at the goofy Halloween costumes and Olympic scoring swim parties, scouting events, neighborhood get-togethers and cheesy sports pictures that stilled a life anything but still.

My folks and in-laws, beloved pets, a few dear friends ... they are gone. But look at how much remains! The years have changed and drawn us along on its timeline, but faces I see in these bent edged, faded photos are still with me: you -- and you -- and you.

There are so many secrets to learn in life. One is that love makes it possible to magically feel again the warmth of a vacant hand around the Christmas table. Another is that a messy box of pictures can be a profound reminder that trust keeps those we love in our lives, timeless and true. Those are pretty big secrets, too.