Parable of the Red Kitchen Aid

“It’s enough for me – my life. It’s enough”

I read that line in a beautiful book, The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah.

I stopped reading immediately and wrote down that line on a piece of paper.

“It’s enough for me – my life. It’s enough.”

Don’t you love that sentiment?

It made me put down a very good book because I wanted to remember that one line.

My life really is enough for me.

In fact, it’s more than enough.

But sometimes I let the things I want overshadow what I have.

I suspect I’m not the only one guilty of this.

We’re wired to want things.

Boy, do we want things… especially at this time of year.

“What do you want?” is such a common question at Christmas time.

I know this sentence in the book was not referring to things.

It was referring to a character’s satisfaction with the whole of her life — her feelings of being fulfilled, satisfied and grateful even though her life had been one of unimaginable grief and terror during World War II.

This simple sentence reminded me that I am lucky to be happy with the whole of my life.

But, sometimes I forget about that and I start wanting things…

Today, I found myself wanting a red Kitchen Aid on the Cyber Monday sale.

Keep in mind, I have a Kitchen Aid.

It’s old, scratched, and has a few parts missing, but it’s the genuine article. It works. It stirs stuff and has a lot of untapped potential.

But, the one on sale was new, red and shiny.

I couldn’t’ stop thinking about all the ways I would use it, and how pretty it would look all gleaming on my kitchen counter.

I got into a little conversation with myself that went something like this…

I don’t need that Kitchen Aid.

 But, I want that Kitchen Aid.

 You have a Kitchen Aid.

 I know, but it’s not red and I love red.

 You rarely use the one you have, and when you use it, it’s mostly for baking, and you have no business baking.

 Trust me. You don’t want the red Kitchen Aid.

 But, Doug could use it. He likes to make bread. I could get it for Doug for Christmas.

 Yeah, that’s just a selfish, manipulative way of getting it for yourself.

 I could give my old one to Annie and then, of course, I would need a new one — the red, shiny one.

 Well, there’s the true Christmas spirit for you…buy you the new shiny, red one and give Annie the old scratched one with the knobs missing.

Remember, Annie doesn’t even like red. Oh, and she might actually have one.

I was briefly ashamed of myself.

Finally, I decided to put the Kitchen Aid in my virtual shopping cart and guess what?

It was sold out.

I debated too long.

I wish I could say I remembered that my life is enough, and that I didn’t want the dumb red Kitchen Aid, but that would be a lie.

I wanted that thing.

However, after moping for a second or two that it wasn’t available, I was relieved.

No more conversations with myself over something I wanted but didn’t need.

Remember: “It’s enough for me – my life. It’s enough”

Yes, it’s enough… even without that Kitchen Aid.

C’mon.

You’ve got your red Kitchen Aids, don’t you — things you can’t stop thinking you want or need?

Well, when you get as focused as I was today on what you want, take a moment to think about what you have, especially as we enter this Christmas season.

Chances are you will discover your life is enough, and that what you want might amount to nothing compared to what you already have.

Remember: “It’s enough for me – my life. It’s enough.”

 I hope I can remember that next time I see something red and shiny that I want and don’t need.