When to say when...

The other day we had the express pleasure of attending a birthday party for one of our neighbors who was turning 2 years old. This little girl is a fun friend in the neighborhood and I have enjoyed getting to know her grandparents with whom she and her mom live. However, when I received in the mail not only her invitation but also a card to let us know where she was registered, I was sickened. When is bringing pleasure to a child just a show of a sick kind of extravangance? When, in essence, should we say "when"?

This precious little girl had more presents than I have had in all my birthdays combined I believe...and not one of them did she really enjoy. They are just piled on top of everything else she already has, and simply become riff-raff. When we brought her little gift over she didn't even want to open it...she was on sensory overload by this point. This fun celebration was soured because of the fact that nobody is telling this child "when".

We have a birthday in our house coming up too...my little girl is very excited to turn 4, and is excited for her Curious George cake. There will be presents, yes, but I am more convicted than ever that the greatest gift I can give is a lesson in simplicity. To enjoy the things we have, and to enjoy them fully. Everything else is simply riff-raff.