An Abundance of Riches

When my friend Julie emailed me to say she would be in Washington, D.C. the same week as Tim and I, we made plans for a girls' day out.

Foregoing the sights most tourists see down on the Mall, we paid a call at Hillwood Museum and Gardens, one of the homes of Washington socialite Marjorie Merriweather Post.  Too bad we could not also plan a stay at her winter residence in Florida, Mar-a-Lago, which is now owned by President Trump.  Maybe next time, Julie!

Marjorie Merriweather Post was the only child and daughter of C.W. and Ella Post.  In 1914, when her father died, she at age 27 inherited Postum Cereal Company and through her business acumen, spun the company into the General Foods empire.

She became the richest woman in the United States with a fortune worth $250 million.

Married and divorced four times, notably to financier E. F. Hutton with whom she had one daughter, the actress Dina Merrill; and later to Joseph E. Davies, a Washington D.C. lawyer picked by President Franklin Roosevelt to be the U. S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union, Marjorie developed a discerning eye for art.

Marie Antoinette's swivel hairdressing chair, diamond-encrusted Fabrege eggs and jewelry, a chalice once owned by Catherine the Great, silver tea set and French porcelain. 

She accompanied Davies to the Soviet Union in 1937 and for the 18 months they were there, she rescued treasures by purchasing jewels and art that the Soviet government had seized from the church, the imperial family and the aristocracy.

These, along with her collections of French porcelain and furniture, she showcased in Hillwood, the home where she entertained the power brokers of Washington, D.C. and later turned into a museum.

"When I began [collecting] I did it for the joy of it, and it was only as the collection grew and such interest was evidenced by others that I came to the realization that the collection should belong to the country." ~ Marjorie Merriweather Post

Julie and I took the house tour and then wandered through the gardens riotous with spring blossoms.

Tulips, azeleas and redbud trees painted the grounds with vibrant colors.

The orchids that Marjorie loved dazzled us in the greenhouse.

Riches were everywhere the eye looked inside the house and out.  I might not be as wealthy as Marjorie Post, but I, too, am rich--rich in friendships I've made in every season of life.

Julie and I have been friends for more than 30 years, beginning when we played on an intramural soccer team sponsored by First Presbyterian Church in Colorado Springs.  I think our friendship began the way C. S. Lewis describes it:  "Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, "What!  You too?  I thought I was the only one."  We've had lots of those moments over the years.

Although we've texted and emailed each other, that pales in comparison with the chance to spend time face-to-face.  She inspires me with her deep faith and challenges me to live my life in greater devotion to God.  Looking at the worldly riches of Marjorie Merriweather Post, we were reminded of Christ's words in Luke 12:15, "Be on your guard against all kinds of greed for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

True happiness is not found in possessions but in pursuit of the abundant life promised to us by God.  Having a friend who encourages me in that direction makes me rich indeed.