When Can We Be Content?

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Satisfied? That is one thing we are not. We are not satisfied. We push back from the Thanksgiving table and pat our round bellies. "I'm satisfied," we declare. But look at us a few hours later, back in the kitchen picking the meat from the bone. We wake up after a good night's rest and hop out of bed. We couldn't go back to sleep if someone (mylot) paid us. We are satisfied - for a while. But look at us a dozen or so hours later, crawling back in the sheets. We are not satisfied. As a child we say, "If only I were a teenager." As a teen we say, "If only I were an adult." As an adult, "If only I were married." As a spouse, "If only I had kids." As a parent, "If only my kids were grown." In an empty house, "If only the kids would visit." As a retiree in the rocking chair with stiff joints and fading sight, "If only I were a child again." We are not satisfied. Contentment is a difficult virtue. Why?