“Perhaps when we find ourselves wanting everything, it is because we are dangerously close to wanting nothing.” –Sylvia Plath

How many times have we just wanted so much to end up not wanting anything at all? I know I have- on the surface reading of this- gone to the store, packed up the cart, walk to the line to only walk out empty handed, realizing I really didn’t want anything, leaving the cart behind me. How about in life? How many times have you felt you wanted it all to only give up on everything? Sylvia Plath is a writer I have written about so many times. Her work . . . her poetry and prose were brilliant. Plath, Poe, Hemingway, among others, have a connection to depression within their personal lives and their written works displayed many aspects of this. She was brilliant. Sadly, she gave up on life and wanted nothing. At one point she wanted marriage so she married Ted Hughes, who cheated on her, and she had her two children. She had everything to only end up wanting nothing, but death. Do not allow the horrid situations in life change your beautiful heart. Yes, situations shape us in many ways, but do not allow it to shape you in a negative manner.

Another point of view can be that we are so wrapped up in the materialistic aspect of life, we want the car, house, clothes, lifestyle to keep up with the Joneses, but there comes a point when you just want peace. You are willing to give everything up to have peace. I have heard this of my mom who often says she has worked her whole life and simply wants serenity. Not the houses she owns or the cars, but an enjoyable life that doesn’t have her working and killing herself. Have we set ourselves up for a short life when we mistake a materialistic life for a happy one? Have we shortened out life when we kill ourselves for things that, in reality, are not all that important? Look at the countries that have hundreds of people living in refugee camps. How about the kids in Africa that need to be hidden in a ditch due to fear that the militia army will take them? We are far to spoiled in this country and we, at times—including myself—need a reality check. Let us pull away from wanting everything and be closer to wanting the important things. Let’s make life meaningful.