More isn't always better

My daughter is getting married in two weeks and today she showed me the cute little apartment she and her future husband are going to move into.  As I walked through the empty rooms I thought back to the time my husband and I furnished our first apartment.  We had so little in the way of furnishings but were happy with the hand-me-downs we acquired and the well thought out purchases we made.  We didn't need a lot to make us happy.

More isn't always better.  Somehow, along the road of life, we accumulate more and more possessions, thinking that we need them or that they will add to the richness of our lives.  Instead we find that they are only things, after all.  They cannot make us happy.  It's the experiences and memories and relationships that give us joy and happiness. 

We all need a certain amount of things to be comfortable and manage our homes.  But beware of advertising that tries to convince you that you must have --- to raise a child or clean your house or cook your meals or be successful in any aspect of your life.

If you have a good relationship with your husband and children and take care of the things you do have, the humblest home is a lovely and welcoming place!  Without them, the most lavish mansion is nothing but a shell.