Jinn

Ronny's definition of "treasure" was much different than the rest of his class. When his teacher asked the class to draw a picture of treasure, Ronny drew fifteen stick-figure people. Flustered, his teacher asked him why he had only drawn people, and no treasure.

"That's my treasure," replied Ronny.
"What is?" she asked.
"The people!"

Although he couldn't explain it in second grade, it didn't take Ronny long to realize what he truly meant with that rudimentary picture. You see, when Ronny thought of treasure, he didn't think of gold doubloons and massive wealth. He didn't think of pirates and their secret hideouts. He thought of his mother.

Mommy, or Arielle as the world called her, was his role model. She made him yummy ham sandwiches for lunch, including a surprise in each day's lunch. Today's surprise was a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figure. Just like his mother, this turtle was a protector. He sought out the evil in the world, relentlessly pursuing it to protect the innocent denizens of New York. But Ronny didn't love this action figure like he did his mother, because she had something special about her.

Arielle worked at Child Protective Services, filing briefs and writing reports all day long, forty hours of week. It was a tiring and thankless job, but she loved her job. Arielle had been abused as a child, and felt that no one should ever feel the pain she had felt. Because of this, she was dedicated in every case that she had. Just last week she had removed a child from the Juarez household after the husband was arrested for his fourth "spousal abuse" charge. Mr. Juaraz wouldn't be back home for a long time, and Mrs. Juarez still didn't have a job. Arielle stepped in, relocating little Juan to a loving family in the south side. Day in and day out, she dealt with some of the worst people that the city had to offer. She'd been threatened and attacked, spit on and looked down on. She heard pleas of "She stole my baby!" in court, accompanied by the parent's tears. But to Ronny, it wasn't her job that made her extraordinary.

Children have a knack for seeing the best in people, and his mother was certainly no exception. No matter who she talked to, Arielle always spoke softly and kindly. Even as Mr. Juarez was threatening to burn down her house, Arielle was writing a brief to make sure Mr. Juarez would be able to have supervised visitation with his son. Without that document, he would never be able to see his son while in jail. She valued everyone's strengths, and surrounded herself with the best people that she could.

Jon was the neighborhood grandpa. Although he wasn't related to anyone on the block, everyone called him grandpa. After losing his wife in 1999, Jon had devoted his life to helping those around him. Arielle consistently invited him over for dinner, praising his hard work on the Dikara's lawn or his impressive hedge work on the corner. Jon always brought Ronny a piece of candy, and tonight was just like the others. Just after getting home, Ronny found his piece of candy on the bed, just as Jon began to help Mommy cook dinner. "He is a nice man.." thought Ronny. Surrounded by such kind people, Ronny couldn't help but feeling loved.

Even after he grew up and Arielle passed on, Ronny held her life as his most valuable lesson. Now in his mid-40s, Ronny (Dr. Ronald Pitchnuk, as he was now called) was looking through his scrapbook from elementary school. After coming upon his drawing from second grade, he couldn't help but be overcome with tears. Memories of his mother flooded back, and he finally realized what she had taught him. He'd lived his life like he thought his Mother would want him to, but he never knew what that truly meant. At that moment, he realized what he had been trying to express in his picture. People were his treasure.

Whether they were criminals or law-abiding citizens, Ronny loved them all. They all had unique abilities and personalities, and he reveled in their differences. In college, he had been amazed at the diversity he saw walking around the campus. At work, he surrounded himself with the most beautiful of beautiful. Not physically beautiful, but emotionally. He reminded his coworkers daily how valuable their work was, and thanked them for being in his life. Without people, Ronny's life meant nothing. As he fell asleep that night, he reflected on his mother's most valuable, yet unspoken, lesson. Treasure those around you. Even when they're buried with the gold coins and ancient artifacts, their value will surpass any material wealth. By living their lives in respect and love for their fellow humans, they are the life blood of this planet. Strive to be treasured by those around you, and treasure each unique day that you are able to spend with the people of the world." And with that thought, Ronny drifted into the most calm sleep he’d had in years.


// definitely not my favorite piece

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"I'm typing on a computer of science, which is being sent by science wires to a little science server where you can access it. I'm not typing on a computer of philosophy or religion or whatever other thing you think can be used to understand the universe because they're a poor substitute in the role of understanding the universe which exists independent from ourselves." - Willravel