The problem with wishes, really is that we always want more. We are never satisfied with the one wish. Ask Allie to use three wishes and first wish is for a thousand more. Kind of like life. I am never satisfied with what I have. Instead I always want more.
I have a great job. But I wanted a college degree to feel complete. Why? I still have the same job I had before the degree. Sure, with more responsibility but really I would have gotten the extra work without the degree. More importantly, without the debt!
We had a nice house. But we wanted more, so we bought land and built our dream house. Once the house was built, that should be it. Right? But just 10 years later we think of all the things we should have done or would have changes.
We have cars that drive us to where we need to be. But we are always on the look out for the next car, who will replace theirs first? (um, me please since mine is the oldest!) Instead of just having a car that can take us from point A to point B we need one with a GPS (because we are too good to read a map), a stereo, DVD player and let's not forget the heated seats so our precious rear ends don't get a chill. A point of honesty, my car has none of those things--other than the stereo but guess what? My next car probably will!
We just upgraded our phones to the IPHONE. Why? Our old phones still worked we could talk and text. But we wanted more than that. Okay, I did. David could care less about staying connected. He uses his IPHONE for the weather and fire stuff. Me? I play words with friends.
I have two great girls, but I always want more for them. I want to be a better mom, the one they deserve. Oh, and I want Boo not have to have so much therapy and to no throw her shoes out the car window.
Yes, she did it AGAIN!!! Yesterday she managed to throw the shoe out the front passenger window from the back seat. David actually went back and found it.I have a good marriage, but I want it to be great. I don't want to have to work so hard at being a wife. I look at other marriages that seem so in sync that seem so effortless. Probably not from their point of view. But I want that easy relationship we had before children and mortgages and car payments.
I live in a great Country. But I want more for it. I want us to live up to the Constitution and what the vision of the Founding Fathers had in mind. That we are all equal and deserve to keep for what we work. That those who defend our country deserve more respect and attention than those who are on television.
As you see, I have a lot of wishes. But if I could only have one wish I would close my eyes and wish to be content with where I am in life.
What would you wish for and no you cannot say more wishes!
You are so right. Also, I don't get the point of heated seats. I've experienced -20 before, and I didn't need a heated seat. I have PANTS.
ReplyDeleteThat's what pants and long underwear are for :)
DeleteBeautiful post, Kerri.
ReplyDeleteMan is greedy and relentless thus, innovations are out with a wink of an eye! We all sail the same boat, my friend :)
Thanks, Ruchira.
DeleteWow, this is really beautiful and touching.
ReplyDeleteI guess it is human to strive for more, this is what brought us to where we are today. But just to be content with what we have and what we are given is something we should always be striving for, too (and, somehow it is a shame that we have to strive for it and that it does not come to our minds naturally. But I guess that contradicts my first sentence?).
It's interesting you wrote about this today because I just got off the phone with the "Make A Wish" foundation for my son...he has the opportunity to make a wish for either a dream trip/vacation, meeting a celebrity, a shopping experience, and so on....I can't wait to see what he picks. I've realized that wishes can be very important parts of our lives, especially during very challenging times.
ReplyDeleteAhhh being content- that is all I want to. Why is it so hard?
ReplyDeleteHave you ever gone on a trip somewhere amazing and gotten lost in the way? I do that a lot. I end up finding interesting little shops, meeting people if I'm lucky. When that happens, I want to get to where I'm going but I'm also happy with where I am. In those moments, I am not only happy with where I am but also with where I'm going. That duality of state, that balance, is what I wish to achieve all the time.
ReplyDeleteI think it's part of human nature to always want more. If we didn't, if we were always content then there would be no push to grow.
I agree with Maggie-it's human nature to want more. It's a grass is always greener thing!
ReplyDeleteI just got heated seats when I upgraded from a tiny car to a minivan. So far my thoughts on it are they just make your ass sweat. Especially in July. When your husband turns it on for no reason except to laugh when you say, "jeez, is it getting hot in here? My butt is... wait, what did you do??"
ReplyDeleteAnd I so miss the easy relationship pre-responsibilities too. Every. Day. A girl can dream...
Found you at Theme Thursday. I'll be back :)
This is always a great message for me to read. And for me it is all about loving where I am right now, that doesn't mean being stagnant but grateful, grateful that I have a house, a great husband, three children. When I focus on what I have and what I'm grateful for I always, always feel better. Thank you for reminding me about this!
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ReplyDeleteThanks for the reminder. On the days when I am wishing for more, I need to close my eyes and remember all that I do have.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to reply in a smart way - I just typed a ton and deleted it and pasted it to Word. I have a nasty cold/sinus thing (green snot and bloody nose and ears and bleh - aren't you glad I shared) and don't want to mess this up so I will retry tomorrow...when I am not as dumb.. BUt I love this and I love you.
ReplyDeleteThis was a truly beautiful post. At bible study last night I found myself thinking why is it people think God blessing them means more, more, MORE. I try so hard not to fall into this trap. I'm so lucky, I really truly am, and I can't fathom that someone that's homeless just doesn't have enough faith. Any way sorry this is a heavy comment, your post was just truly honest and beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI would wish for an end to selfishness and greed, a life that was promised when I was young, and that all men and women truly had compassion for each other. If all of that took place, how could I not be a happy camper? Unless, of course, that asteroid heading towards the Earth at breaking speed hits us in the next 5 hours. Oh, you hadn't heard? lol Good Post!
ReplyDeleteSometimes the seat heaters aren't an option - you just get them with the car you pick. My husband insisted on a sun roof in the Honda Pilot we bought in 2006 (even though *I* am the one who drives it all the time and I hate the sun roof) and it came with the package that included leather seats (which I also hate), the 6-disc radio (which my 3yo put coins into and destroyed), and the seat heaters - which I am forced to use in the winter because those leather seats I hate are like sitting on a block of ice.
ReplyDeleteNow he thinks we need a minivan.
I am trying so hard to instill in my kids (and my husband) the sense of being happy with what you have instead of complaining about what you *don't* have. I'll let you know if I finally break through.
Ok here is me being less dumb than last night. First, I think that ultimately, you are content with your life. Of course there are things that could be better. Navigation in a car is huge and I love having it. It saves me time and frustration and from feeling anxious about being lost. Those are good things.
ReplyDeleteI think it's human nature to want more and it's mom nature to want the best for our children. The fact that we can walk around our homes and notice things that we don't like, or would do differently given the chance does not make us not empathetic towards others. Yes, there are people who are suffering without. We should all do more to help and we should be more thankful for what we have. However, we all live our own realities and there's nothing wrong with wanting life, as we know it, to be more convenient, smoother, or prettier. Nothing.
This is a really powerful post in so many ways, friend. On one hand, I feel like defending the desire for wanting to make things better. There's something satisfying in improving our homes and our lives. On the other hand, this makes me feel like I need to do more to help - volunteer, donate, be more active in the rest of the world.
Maybe I'm not less dumb than last night but I feel like you know what I mean. I hope so. I know that we are thankful for what we have. I also know that when I go out to my small yard, that I wish I'd purchased a different home. Would it be wrong to spend money to improve my yard when other people don't have one? I honestly don't know.
That was a lovely and honest read - and you're so right about contentment, because if we got all our wants fulfilled today, they would just be replaced with another set tomorrow x
ReplyDeleteHi Kerri! I know what you mean about wanting more. I don't have a smartphone, but I did just buy a tablet...not too sure why. It was a definite want, not a need.
ReplyDeleteIf I had one wish, it's got to be peace. The news is filled with people hating each other, governments being toppled, people hating themselves. Yikes! Peace would then allow justice.
Have a blessed weekend!
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I like to think of it as the basic human need to keep on improving. If we were all satisfied with what we had, nothing new would ever get invented. By someone else.
ReplyDeleteExactly, we want the world for our children. But each year that seems more and more. And just think, I might have money for ALlie's college if I stop giving her 'things'
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