The last few days in Simple Abundance have talked about happiness – our inability to find it within ourself, our inability to get happy ourselves, the source of happiness being outside our control.

More than anything, the January 8th reading, which I just re-read, spoke to me.  I was at a funeral yesterday – a funeral of a young man who died too young but who lived to the fullest while he was here.  While I am sure he was in pain near the end of his life, he didn’t stop living.  He definitely showed those of us who knew him – and there were thousands of us – that happiness was not dependent on a remodeled kitchen as author Sarah Ban Breathnach mentions nor on what is going on around us but it was dependent on a faith in our God or a higher authority and on ourselves and knowing our authentic self.

Then, as this morning awakened, I read about the differing between wants and needs.  When I read this, I always think of children.  They seem to “need” every new gadget they see.  As they become older, their “needs” get more elaborate and expensive.  We, as parents, need to teach children the difference between want and need.  These things are usually wants.  When I think of what I “need” as a woman and as an adult, I realize that there is truly little I need.  But the list of wants could get long.