“I don’t believe in the phrase ‘guilty pleasure.’ Pleasure by definition has no guilt, for pleasure is a feeling pleased, happy, gratified and content. One shouldn’t feel guilt while experiencing
happiness and contentment.”
– David Lovejoy
I tend to agree with Mr. Lovejoy and Paul, my gratitude guru. Paul made an excellent point today in his post. In fact, he touched on something that always bothers me. I have a lot. I’m grateful for, but I feel guilty that there are others that don’t have as much as I do, sometimes making deep enjoyment of what I have hard. He said:
“Don’t feel badly about your situation. There will always be someone with more than you.”
That is so true. No matter what we’re given, we exist in a space that never changes. We will always have more than some and less than others. To dribble away time agonizing over how much we have is silly. As long as it came in an honest, Godly way, it is a gift. A gift to be accepted with a simple “thank you”.
I’m glad I read that quote this morning and Paul’s take on it. This afternoon finds me on the beach, in a chair, glass of wine, with my husband beside me. Nothing remarkable about that except – it’s a Wednesday in September. I walk this beach every afternoon and stop and sit with friends and their husbands. And I miss mine. He is on vacation here this week and I’m so excited to share my “ordinary” days with him. On our way down here, I caught myself when I started getting that “guilty pleasure” feeling. I immediately turned my thinking around by saying “thank you” to God and let my heart open fully to this wonderful September day.
To all my girlfriends who are retired here with their husbands, grab those beach chairs and head out. Give gratitude that these wonderful September days are ours for the taking.
And so, as another day goes by, I’m going to learn to appreciate that “space” I live in without guilt, just as the seagull below is enjoying his “spa”, and….I have written.
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