The lure of quantity is the most dangerous of all.~ Simone Weil ~
Quantity for quantity's sake is dangerous...yes. That becomes greed and there's plenty of that going around these days.
However, there is a certain quantity that is enough for each of us. Finding that--in the true spirit of simplicity--brings peace. Inner and outer peace. Ahh....
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Enough. One of the hardest things to know and one of my biggest challenges, right up there with acceptance. :-)
How very beautiful. Abundance means different things to each of us at different times, I suppose.
Someone said to me the other day that my daughters grew up quite poor. Compared to the speaker's lifestyle, I suppose that is true, but compared to my upbringing, my daughters were wealthy.
They had a beautiful home in a lovely neighborhood, they were never, ever hungry, not once. They enjoyed music and dance lessons, a safe car to drive when they came of age, good clothes, and the opportunity to travel with their classmates on annual outings, sometimes cross country.
True, they attended public schools (where their father taught), never went to Paris over spring break or snorkeling in New Zealand during the summer like some of their more affluent friends.
They didn't see a specialist every time they hiccuped, and they didn't get a private tutor to help them ace the SATs (they did well, anyway).
They are two of the smartest, most responsible, most loving women I know. They are fabulous moms who deal with the punches life throws them, from 3-year-old tantrums to heartbreaking life changes with intelligence, thoughtfulness and grace. They are incredibly strong.
That's an abundance of riches, a quantity I can live with, and indeed, with it comes peace, inner and outer.
Thank you so much for this--may I call it a homily? So often, your words and quotations become a part of my morning meditation.
Kathryn...I guess I was poor, too, by those standards. I think my parents turned out some great kids.
Deb...it's nice to have company on the same page with me.
Yes, precisely. Trying to find that balance right now myself.
Yes, "enough" is my primary theme these days.
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