I Want More

There’s no limit to how much we want. We’re never permanently satiated. One delicious meal is wonderful, but of course we get hungry again. One beautiful new outfit is marvelous, but it can’t be our last! Children, teens, and adult are always looking for their next “fix” — that dopamine-inducing sense of excitement and fulfilment. No wonder we’re challenged by the concept of gratitude!

Short Shelf Life

The birthday gift, that special treat send surges of pleasure through our the brain and yes, for those few minutes, we’re truly grateful. “Are those your chocolate chip cookies I smell in the oven? Oh goody! Thanks, Mom!” The gratitude is genuine and certainly likely to last at least until the cookie melts in the youngster’s mouth.

Unfortunately, however, the momentary high quickly dissolves, leaving barely a trace of its goodness behind. You’d think that all of us would be filled with constant feelings of gratitude toward our parents. How much kindness has every one of us received from those who brought us into the world?

And yet, it’s more likely we focus our thoughts on what we didn’t receive. “Sure, my parents provided me with clothing, food, a nice home, a nice neighborhood, a great education, fancy camps, and amazing vacations, birthday celebrations, a magnificent wedding, and support for the first few years of my marriage, but this is just what parents are supposed to do. My parents are selfish. Do you know that they have plenty of money, but they don’t buy any of us kids a home?”