OH! TO BE CONTENT

The calendar tells me it is now spring...but the weather outside my window surely makes me believe that our winter is not yet past.

It would seem at times that our circumstances fit the same pattern. We can see, right around the corner, that things are looking up. But hold on, there is still a little of the "winter" now and then. Peace of mind only comes with contentment...now, at this very moment, no matter the situation.

Impatience is but a form of discontent. I am reminded of The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck, the title taken from Shakespeare's Richard III. Both of these works show the downward slide that began with discontent. Dissatisfaction leads to desperate attempts to change, leading to ambition which can become obsession. We can lose sight what we already have and think the "grass is greener"...

I saw a beautiful illustration of that yesterday morning. The always welcome California poppy; against a gray sky, a very cool breeze, this beautiful and fragile little flower refuses to hide. It knows it is supposed to bloom at this time, and bloom it does. What a cheerful sight along the roadside. Funny how you spot them in unlikely places. And they "bloom where they are planted". Contented.

Yes, contentment is a way of life, a peaceful way of life. Weather the storms of life and relish the good times. It is all good, nothing is without purpose.