Enough is Enough

 This morning I return to Attitudes of Gratitude: How to Give and Receive Joy Every Day of Your Life by M.J. Ryan. I am always thinking about gratitude and how much I have to be grateful for and today I opened the book to a reflection entitled "Enough is Enough". 

Her father, who was a family doctor, often said, "The secret to life is to know when enough is enough."

I think if we are really grateful, we know we have enough. The problem is to rejoice in what we have and not want more. Our society tries to tempt us to buy what we really do not need. Let us try to give rather than to collect more than is necessary. I was happy to fill a whole box for those who have lost homes here in California, but I still have more than I need.  Now, to continue with M.J. Ryan's last part of the reflection: "An attitude of gratefulness gets us off the treadmill and out of the rat race. As we cultivate a true and deep appreciation for what we do have, we realize that our sense of lack is, for the most part, an illusion. no matter our material circumstances, the richness of our soul is ultimately what brings us happiness,,...."

Having said that, I think of how grateful I am for the wonderful "care" basket that one of my friends broght me last Friday. She dropped it off with an orchid, a lovely card, an Amazon gift card and all sorts of goodies from Trader's Joes - enough for me to share with all who live in Westwood with me. I am eating the dark chocolate almonds all by myself and the chocolate biscotti; I have also ordered a new book on Amazon by Cynthia Bourgeoult - more about that when I receive the book, but you can see that I am overflowing in gratitude!