living with gusto

We met one of our daughters at Costco this afternoon. One of her daughters was eating a chocolate donut and had chocolate smeared across her face. We said, "You must have really enjoyed that donut!" and our daughter wondered aloud (something every parent must have asked a jillion times) why kids get food all over themselves. I was thinking that it's partly because they go at the food with gusto. Coley really liked the donut. And I was wondering how it would be if we went at everything in our lives with that kind of gusto. Maybe we'd burn out. But maybe not. I mean, look at this face. She's enjoying life!

So maybe, I tell myself, instead of feeling tired and worn, I just need to go at life like I'm a little girl eating a chocolate donut. Certainly with all the great hugs we got this afternoon, I have to say that the gusto feels good to the people it spill over on.