It is a lesson I've been learning all my life, one which I must be reminded of all too often.
For I've learned that much of the stress and anxiety we contend with in life is simply a consequence of pursuing more and ending up with less.
At first glance, our routine struggles may seem purely in the name of something better, when most often we are merely maintaining the status quo.
However, if we dig beneath the surface often you'll find a disconnect between our pursuit of luxury and a basic foundation for happiness.
Most of us have far more than we really need to be happy. Much of our limited time is wasted either simply storing stuff for nothing, never to be used again, or in the vacuous pursuit of being entertained; when with very little effort we can either entertain ourselves, or better yet, each other.
That's what Milo reminded me of when we took our little stroll about the block. Every walkway was a detour; every driveway was a beginning to a new adventure.
The treasures we found along the way were precious, the value of each piece punctuated with a genuine quizzical inspection and a declaration of pure elation and discovery, as if every infantile "Unh!" was Eureka all over again.
Our trove was priceless and included a flower, one dead and shriveled-up worm, un palito, three rocks, a Popsicle stick, a loose wad of dried grass and a whole lot of curiosity and appreciation for the little things.
