"Enough"

As I was reading Janet’s post, “Thinking about the Future”, I looked up on my wall and saw an adage a dear colleague gave me years ago. I liked it so well at the time that I put it on my office wall and have never taken it off!

It goes like this:

I WISH YOU “ENOUGH”:

Enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
Enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
Enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
Enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.
Enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
Enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
Enough "Hello's" to get you through the final "Good-bye."

What I like about this is that it forces me to think about two things: 1) the fact that all I need is “enough”, I don’t need plenty, and 2) that we need negatives to appreciate the positives in our lives.

On the first point, we Americans have been raised to always strive for more … more money, more things, more collectibles, more activities, more … always more. And I wonder what the “pursuit of more” has cost us. It occurs to me that our national “pursuit of more” may very well have something to do with the economic collapse we are suffering today . . .

On the second point, I hate to admit it, but the sad and difficult experiences in my life have caused me to appreciate – to notice, quite frankly – the happiness and comforts in my life.

When I was a young woman in my mid-twenties, my stepson was killed in a car accident. I adored this boy; his death caused pain and sadness on a level I had never before experienced. During the days that followed his death, I was surrounded by family and loved ones. One moment in particular has soothed me many times since then … there was a terrible rain storm as we drove to the funeral. It was one of the most difficult times of my life, yet, in the midst of my pain, I felt safe and warm in the car with people who loved me and were, at that moment, taking care of me. I had an incredible surge of love and gratitude for the family that had come to our aid. I have since come to realize that the pain of loss heightened my appreciation for the love of those who still lived.

Questions to ponder:
• In what areas of your life are you searching for “more” when you really have “enough”?
• What benefit or learning have you gained from painful or difficult experiences in your life?