In the Eye of the Beholder.

His face was bright as I filled his cup.

He lifted it to his lips, closing his eyes and swallowing the orange liquid as if he were drinking an ice cream cone: pure bliss.

"Ooooo, I love orange juice," he said with a liquid mustache.

I suddenly felt a twinge of guilt.  We rarely bought orange juice.  Luxuries like that seldom made it into the budgeted grocery money. I wished we could have orange juice all the time, and he would have the joyful acquaintance with this cup every morning.

The grocery store has special sales of drastically reduced items each week with one of their coupons,

limited usually to one of the item.

It is an enticement to get shoppers to visit, I suppose.

This week, it happened to be orange juice.

A carton made it into our refrigerator with eager eyes watching.

As I thought about it later, I began to question in a different perspective: are we the ones who are deprived, or are we the ones who are actually privileged to possess something only tasted by those who embrace the contentedness of simple "limitedness."

I remembered going out to eat with a family once a while back for breakfast

and when the orange juice came out, their little girl said,

"I am sick of orange juice.  We have it all the time."

She had no idea in her little mind how unappreciative she sounded,

especially to orange juice loving ears.

I began to wonder.

Is it really the "rich" who are privileged,

or are they the ones who are missing something.

By giving every indulgence to our children,

everything that we felt we didn't have or should have had as children,

are we creating a better person?

Everyday luxuries become commonplace to the one whose tongue is spoiled to its taste.

The person who sees treasures in simplicity will find a life full of unexpected enjoyment.

The spoiled tongue must wait for rare, expensive moments while plodding on in daily trivialities:

a cup of orange juice to one is a treasure in a cup to another.

I do not consider us poor by any means.  

We are well cared for and have abundantly more than we need;
I am certain my kids have lots of "spoiled" attitudes that pop up,
as does their mother.

I still have to think, though, that it has to be considered that often blissful appreciation is worth waiting for a coupon to experience,
more often than not.
It develops the sense of how really precious every good gift is in our lives.

"Better is an handful with quietness,
than both hands full with travail and vexation of spirit."
Ecclesiastes 4:6



Linking to:
Raisinghomemakers

Themodestmomblog.com