I have a sweatshirt that I’ve owned for probably 15 years.  It is well broken in, soft, stretched out, and has stains that I can’t get out.  I like to wear it after a long day of work, when I cook, or when I just want my clothes to feel like a warm hug.  I have other newer sweatshirts, but I really like this one.  It’s my favorite.

(c) Kathleen Thompson

There are times when it is appropriate to wear my sweatshirt.  But what if I wore it to the office?  What if I wore it to my friend’s wedding?

Bobby gestured toward the candy rack and yelled, “Mom, I want this!”  while they waited at the check-out counter of the local store.  His mother told him that they weren’t buying the candy.  But Bobby wasn’t finished.  “I need the candy; I’m hungry,” he wailed.  He then picked it up, ignoring his mother’s directions.  Mom told Bobby to put the candy back, and Bobby did so, crushed.  He was no longer a happy boy.  He had seen something that he wanted and could not have.

Don’t we do that too?  We want something that we don’t need, or perhaps isn’t even good for us.  And even if we do get it, it isn’t enough.  We want more.  Our houses are packed; our garages don’t fit our cars; we rent storage facilities just to house our stuff.

(c) Ryan McVay/Thinkstock