the essence

i'm a lucky girl.  i don't need a lot materially to be happy.  i feel satiated with who i am and where i sit in the world.  i don't  need no diamond rings, designer jeans, or a fancy car.  that's good, because i can't afford them anyways.  i don't mind my haphazard house, my dirty carpets, my craft explosions, my mountains of laundry or my cat-haired life.  if my life was flawless, it would be boring.  i want a life with soul.  i try my best to keep things together, but i don't fret so much anymore when life becomes chaotic.  it's an adventure, mom used to say when things got a little hairy,  making it a little less scary for us kids and a little more like a thrilling indiana jones saga.  yes, when you live life on the edge, when you push the boundaries of convention, you certainly don't have to travel farther than your own backyard for that cliffhanger feeling.  these days, i can hear mom's voice, those words, stuck in a reassuring repeat: it's an adventure.  adversity nurtures depth and sincerity.  i don't worry too much anymore about what other people do, scrambling to get ahead of me in the rat race for wealth or success.  i used to get a little hotheaded about it all, but i learned quickly: that stuff only affects me if i let it.  i've heard that peace comes with age and the wisdom of experience.  whatever the reason, the more that peace of mind grows, the better i feel.  these days, i am content to know that my friends and family love me, just the way i am.  simple as that.  it's a wholeness, a kind of security, a true fortress, filled with riches beyond riches.