The Rich Woman

Once upon a time a very wise, stooped, older woman found an old lamp. She rubbed it, and a cloud of smoke appeared. As the cloud cleared, a beautiful genie was left bowing low in front of her.

"Madam, you have released me from my prison. I am in your debt. To show you my gratitude, I shall grant you three wishes."

The woman's tired eyes lit up and a smile began to spread across her wrinkled, weathered face.

"Before you wish, though, I must tell you: I can not grant wishes to give love, health or time."

The woman's face fell. "Young lady, what else is left to wish for?"

How blessed are we to have the gifts of love, health and time. No amount of money can purchase these commodities. But sometimes, even when we are quite rich with them, we can feel rather poor.

How many times have we wished for more and bigger? Yet, without love, health and time, more and bigger seem foolish and wasted.

I've seen a shirt that read: "Whoever said money can't buy happiness obviously didn't know where to shop."

Of course, I smiled and thought, "I certainly wouldn't mind trying to buy happiness..." But I know that it would be a hollow happiness- not the deep contentedness that we all seek.

Without someone to share with, without the ability to be free from pain, and without time to spend with the ones we love, we are truly poor. How ironic, then, that we spend so much of our time away from the ones we love, pushing our bodies beyond their limits & not caring for them properly, while trying to obtain more "things" for ourselves/our loved ones.

What a blessing to be able to look at the glass as half full, instead of comparing with others and feeling our glass is half empty and not the right color, size, shape, etc.

I am trying to practice counting my blessings instead of naming my shortfalls. Hopefully, I will never be the old lady, saddened by what she can't wish for. Instead, I would like to be the old lady for whom everyone says, "Wow, she lived a full, rich, loved life."