Children’s books often contain pearls of wisdom. I keep thinking about a few lines from Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig.

“When they had eventually calmed down a bit, and had gotten home, Mr. Duncan put the magic pebble in an iron safe. Some day they might want to use it, but really, for now, what more could they wish for? They all had all that they wanted.”

Maybe I’m just getting old. Or this is the result of spending yesterday traveling to the North Shore to see the the engraving that has finally been completed on my parents’ gravestone. But I can’t help feeling that in our fast paced world of consumerism and acquisition, it’s good to pause and look around and simply be grateful for what you have. And, more importantly, for the people with whom you share your life.