Gratitude

A friend told me about a party she once went to hosted by a very wealthy people that she felt easily cost $30,000.  The wealthy couple, she went on to say, were very nice people.  When she said "nice" she didn't mean it in that throw-away sense we all use when we say someone or something is "nice".  She meant it in the superlative way.  She genuinely thought they were good people.  Later in our conversation she went on to tell me that she was having a girls get together to ring in summer and a mutual friend asked her if she was going to invite the Mrs. from the wealthy couple.  My friend said that she wasn't.  Her get together would not compare to a lavish $30,000 party.  She felt she had nothing to offer her.

This made me sad for two reasons.  One being my friend does indeed have a lot to offer. She's funny and intelligent.  She helps raise money for children who can't afford medical bills.  Hello?!  Pretty awesome, right?   And the other reason I felt sad was that I felt I was passing judgments on the wealthy woman without knowing her.  Just because she has oodles and oodles of money doesn't mean she can't enjoy the company of us "normal" folk.  I felt guilty over this.  I don't want to pass judgments.

The more I thought of this conversation the more I started thinking of that saying that's all over Pinterest: Gratitude turns what we have into enough.  I am guilty of coveting other people's houses/furnishings/clothes/shoes/cars/purses/vacations/well mannered kids/yards/the dish you ordered at dinner looks yummier than mine ... you name it, it's crossed my mind at one point in my life.  Okay, some more than others.  What I am trying to work on is to turn what I have into not only enough, but to get to the point where I feel blessed for what I have.  There will always be someone who has more material things in life.  That's ok with me.  My house will never be in architectural digest.  But I do hope that when people visit they feel comfortable and welcome.  I just need my little piece of the world to be a haven of love, nurturing, laughter, family, faith, open discussions, sibling squabbles, honey's dirty jokes, hugs, and a tad bit of dog hair tumbling around.  It may not hold $30,000 parties, but honey makes a mean margarita and that's all I need to party.