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PHIL'S PHILOSOPHY By; D.P Kinkade Contributions By; Taylor & Drake Kinkade

ENOUGH ISN'T ENOUGH-Most of us have heard the expression, “enough is enough,” haven't we? It is said in reference to dealing with a barely tolerable situation for enough time that we get, “fed up,” we reach a saturation level where we can not tolerate even a trifle more, so we are fully ready to walk away. It has happened to all of us at some point in our lives, in instances such as a hostile work environment or unhealthy relationships or being in situations which actually go against your core values or deeply held beliefs which, if denied, would mean giving up on what makes you, you. So we terminate the relationship or change the environment, we do something to change our circumstances.

What about those times though, when walking away or moving on, is not an option? That is the times when we are in danger of losing our souls (no, I am not talking about putting our afterlife in jeopardy, for those readers who happen to be very literal-minded. I am not very literal at all and prefer subtlety, conjecture, simile, metaphor and parable, like most writers trying to convey meaning through words but I sometimes forget, not everybody is like me.) I am talking about losing the part of ourselves which hangs on to hope and meaning and purpose to life and purpose to each individual but instead just shutting down on the inside. I am talking about those times where there just- isn't- enough and it slowly wears you down, like water over a stone, until there is just nothing left of hope to hang on to.

I am so grateful that I grew up knowing what hard work was all about. Like most folks, I suppose, there are parts of my childhood which I remember fondly and were absolutely great but to be completely honest though, some parts of it were not that great at all and I wish I could have avoided some of it altogether but the work part, that is not something I would avoid, even if I could somehow go back in time and change things. I shoveled peoples driveways and sidewalks in a northern state for extra cash from the time when the shovel was almost as big as I was. I have walked many a mile behind a lawnmower, hauled and split more wood than would comfortably fit in a football field, picked blackberries and peaches and apples, cleared brush from fence rows by hand and more; all just to earn a buck or take care of our family and I don't regret any of it, it was good for me.

My dad once said something, offhandedly, which has stayed with me all these years, so parents, remember to always be on guard when you talk to your children, it makes more of an impact than you think. My slightly older cousin was visiting with us one summer day, I believe, the year after I graduated high school. He had managed to wrangle a blue collar job in a neighboring state which paid reasonably well. My dad remarked, “if Dennis was used to work, I'd let him go try it for the summer.” I remember the remark kind of hurt my feelings because, like I said, I thought I had been working pretty hard for quite a while. I believe now that he meant I was not used to any “structured” type of work and he was worried I might not be suited for it but that is not how I took it at the time.

One of my very first “structured” types of jobs left little doubt in my mind by what people meant when they talked about “sweatshops.” I was stationed in front of a large steam press, moving my hands and feet as fast as possible, all day long. The compensation for such back breaking work? not even close to a fair living wage. That is something I would definitely change, if I could go back and do it over. I am not of the mindset which believes that all work should basically pay the same. I believe talent and hard work, intelligence and study should count for something but I also believe anyone and I mean anyone; who is working hard at an honest living, should be able to adequately provide for themselves and their family. If in the name of “profit” or “the bottom line” an employer is not able to do that, they have no business, being in business in the first place and lets face it, it simply boils down to the greed of a select few, in the vast majority of cases.

I am also not one of those types who believes everyone deserves a trophy just for showing up. In fact I am kind of competitive and make no apologies for it. If you strive and train, sacrifice and take risk, you should reap the benefits from it. The value of your soul is not tied up in how well you do in competition though or if you decimate your opponent. I heard the story of how one father told his son something that will also probably stay with him, for life. After witnessing his son strike out in a little league game, this father made it a point to assure his son that his love for him or his value as a human being had nothing to do with a baseball game. That is a true life lesson there.

When is simply being in life just not enough? If you work hard but still have to worry about things like having enough to eat or adequate housing or warmth from the cold; it is not enough. When every day is filled with worry and stress, then the soul slowly wears away, gets ground into dust. When you worked hard and suddenly it all gets taken away, through no fault of your own; no way to give the things you would love to give to your children, it withers the spirit. When you feel alone in the midst of community, when you feel misunderstood, disregarded as unimportant, when you feel like no one really understands; then just surviving is just not enough. It is not enough to just “get by” or just “hang on,” burdens and troubles, triumphs and joy, is all meant to be shared. Life is about much more than, “having just enough to be tolerable!” Let's not let anyone's spirit break, if there is some way we can do something about it. Life is not a competition or survival of the fittest, it is also not a, “sorry about your luck” proposition. Lets find ways of keeping hope alive.

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