We Have A Word For It !

Enough Series no. 2

I came across this word months back and printed it and put in on my wall: 

וּ׃דיֵנ   DAYAENU

It's the Hebrew word for 'enough'; 

which really today should be read "ENOUGH (already)!"

We have way too many :

things- each phone model churns out accessories we cannot even find landfills for

conveniences - to be convenient we need some intermediary like another page to bookmark
expectations - clue: unhappiness is proportionally related to what we feel we deserve
complaints (twin sister of expectations) - it's everywhere in the air
unmet needs - smart TV, that spa experience, that fulfilling job, the perfect parent, mate...

I was musing over the humble packet of tissue. It traces back to paper pulp and hence eventually to a tree somewhere. My mother used to carry a simple square handkerchief which also served as a purse at times. Today, the average woman's bag has a pouch for this, that, and wallet, purse, key holder, phone case... It's getting so that we need a bag organiser which makes it easy for us to simply plop everything in the many compartments; pull the whole thing out and put it in a whole new different bag for a whole new look (which is really less powerful than one's outlook).

The water and detergent needed to wash the humble hanky and then let generous Sun dry it surely will never equal the energy and raw materials used to create and replace all the many purses and pouches we have today.

Enough -- is said in practically all languages:

nok

assez

sapat

Дастаткова

足够

כמות מספקת, מידה מספקת

पर्याप्त

Nóg

十分な

충분 한

آن قدر

ما يكفي (arabic)

đủ (Vietnamese)

کافی (Turkish)

Tillräckligt (Swedish)

Yeterli

Digon o

Go leor

Genog

Cukup

Tarpeeksi

Bastante

Isa

just that it isn't common use anymore.

That day weeks ago when i discovered the word, i heard an invitation to cease, to desist and to resist. Yet it wasn't like a huge battle or something. It's more like settling back in a chair after a decent meal and saying, "thank you very much, that was very adequate and satisfying", then breathing deep and even slouching a little in my chair, all content.

What do you need to say ENOUGH to?

..tempter's target....in the USA

Enough Series no.1

There was a good amount to be done ... But even all wound up with grief, conversations, and decisions...there were gaps; which the Singaporean lot of us took as cue to go shopping.

This plus my tween daughter's struggle to find clothes her size and our budget. So off we went to Target, a cosy commoner one-stop shop. Previous experience tells me there will be good finds. It's like going to Makota in Malacca I guess.

Quick as a flash, my daughter picked out five pieces per our agreement for less than sixty dollars, mostly from the Clearance racks.

Then the challenge began: while some of what we wanted to get was legitimate; the attractive prices, array of options, quality of products (even the Made in China ones looked better in the USA),  quickly bumped us all confused between needs and wants. Two distinct moments arose: I stopped my younger brother to remind him to do a currency conversion, I stopped myself to talk with God. The word came easily enough as I stood at aisle 18 (?). 

"You simply don't need this". No qualifications. 

I could do with quite a bit...or ..okay, I could not. Indeed, I do not. 

It's easy; if I didn't see the stuff, I really would live on very fine. Wait, that's how temptation works, isn't it?  

See
Consider
Relish
Reach for it

I believe it happened in primordial times and everyday since.

We returned with same suitcases, more filled  --- but better yet, a heart more satisfied that I paused, listened and obeyed.