Last week I wrote a little about being thankful... thankful for friends, for family, for people in our lives. Today at church, my priest spoke a sermon about being thankful for things. For being happy with what we have, instead of always wanting more.
He asked us, "when is the last time you met somebody who was truly happy with what they had?" And the truth is... I don't think I ever have! It's true that I'm happy with what I have... but do I want more? Absolutely! There are days when the toys are all over the floor, and the boxes of children's clothes are piled 6 high, and the laundry baskets are overflowing, and I think "I need a bigger house." There are days that I stand in my closet, staring at "nothing" and think "I need more clothes." There are days that I stare in my freezer or cupboards, full of food, and think "there's nothing to eat."
There's always going to be more stuff that I want... and when does it stop? When I get a bigger house, will I be satisfied? If I can go on a clothes shopping spree, will that make me happy? If I fill all of my cupboards and fridge with the freshest foods, will I be able to make dinner more often?
Danny and I said we wanted to raise our girls with respect. We want them to respect people, but also things. They should recognize that they are lucky to have the things that they do, that not everybody is able to have as much they do. We always said we didn't want a house full of toys, and at Christmastime and at birthdays, they will have to donate old toys to make room for new ones.
This afternoon, Gracie found some money while she was playing in my closet. By money, I mean 35 cents, but to her, it could have been a million dollars! We went grocery shopping, and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to show her the value of money. She wanted a treat, and I told her treats cost money, so she would have to hand over her money if she wanted to take the treat home. She thought really hard about it. She really didn't want to give up her money. But of course, in the end, the lure of a chocolate treat won out and she handed over her 35 cents. Of course the little chocolate that she bought was more than 35 cents, but we'll save that lesson for when she can count! :) The point is that she traded in her money for her treat, and she was happy. She didn't need both.
So if we expect our children to learn these lessons, why is it so hard for us, as adults, to be happy with what we have? Maybe we all need the innocence of children, who think that a chocolate treat at the grocery store is the greatest thing in the world. They see the chocolate in their hand, and don't even see the 300 other chocolate bars inches from their face. When playing at home, Gracie can spend so long just laying on the floor, playing with her crayons and scrap paper. She doesn't need toys that sing and dance and flash lights. We can go outside and run around on the lawn for hours. She doesn't need electric toy cars. She can wear the same outfit 10 days in a row, and still look in the mirror like she does every day and say "I'm pretty, mommy."
Danny and I have spent so long talking about the things we want our children to learn from us, but I think sometimes the things we can learn from them mean so much more. We need to just start paying attention, and try to soak up some of that innocence. They are so happy with what they already have... somehow, in their little time in this world, they've already learned something that adults have such a hard time grasping, the greatest lesson... that enough really is enough!
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