Reason to Celebrate

From the Stone Tarot, the Nine of Wands; from the Buddhist Quote Cards, Dhammapada 14:186:

At the end of the day, the fact we have the courage to still be standing is reason enough to celebrate. 

— Meredith Grey

Celebrations are often thought of as a time to party and have fun. Yet the sweetest victories are the hard-fought ones: the cancer patient in remission, a victim of physical abuse who later finds and embraces love, a struggling student who eventually earns a degree. These successes may not be as rowdy, but they are indeed commemorations of deep gratitude and full hearts. The Dhammapada verse reads: "Not even with a shower of gold coins would we find satisfaction in sensual craving." Buddha spoke of sensual enjoyment (outward pleasures) and non-sensual enjoyment (inward contentment). While there's nothing wrong with pleasure, it is like a mud puddle - it tends to dry up quickly, leaving us chasing the next pleasure in an attempt to find happiness. Just as those arduous victories require an inner strength, so too can we find a source of gladness within us.