“Comparison is the feet of happiness.” Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States of America.
Our sermon began with a quote from Teddy Roosevelt: “Comparison is the feet of happiness.”
The Reverend said she had recited this famous quote so many times to her children that they now finish the sentence for her every time!
I began to think about it, I had never heard this quote before and I didn’t get it either. Comparing what to what? Should we compare our feet to others, therefore bringing us happiness? That could not be it at all, I thought. Our feet take us places. Perhaps comparing our spiritual lives to people we go to see will let us see the happiness that others experience. I continued on this train of thought while I listened with one ear her message about the laborers that were so upset with their boss. Some of the workers had put in quite a few more hours than some of the others, yet they all received the same paycheck. The man in charge asked his laborers “Are you upset you did not receive more than your brother or are you miffed because of my generosity?”
Ahah! Now I get it! The feet of the men who had worked harder and longer were hurting far more than the feet of the others!
I have had foot surgery and can certainly sympathize with their pain. Let me see, what year did I have my foot surgery, I began to think. My mind wandered on and I remembered how generous people were to me when I had surgery. Someone was always bringing me great food, books to read, and lots of visits just to check on me and my foot! Laurie Noble even came over just to teach me how to knit! “What great friends I have,” I thought to myself! If you have bad feet it strikes a chord with the people who have a generous spirit! What a great sermon! I am so happy that I was healed from the wicked pain that had ravaged my poor foot.
Later that evening I picked up my church bulletin with our readings and scriptures from the morning service and read the whole thing over, front to back, while I pretended to be watching a football game. I abruptly blurted out, “I did not get church today at all! What in the heck does ‘Comparison is the feet of happiness’ mean? I do not get it!” I reiterated.
My person in the other chair watching the football game looked at me as if I had a giant”S” for stupid on my forehead and said, “Comparison is the thief of happiness, not feet of happiness.” If there was not a giant “S” on my forehead, there should have been. “Well that makes a little more sense,” I said. He just kept looking at my forehead and I did not want to talk about it anymore, I had used far too much of mega-brain for the day.
Back to my foot surgery, one of my friends brought me the best cucumber dip one day. I am going to think about that recipe for years to come. I have made it so many times since then, the recipe is memorized and tucked into mega-brain. Enjoy!
Lynn’s Cucumber Dip
2 large cucumbers
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
Mayonnaise
1 small onion, grated
2 sprigs fresh dill
Grate the unpeeled cucumbers and place in a small bowl. Pour the vinegar over the cucumbers and add the salt.Allow to stand overnight. Drain the cucumbers well, then mix with the cream cheese and just enough mayonnaise to make the dip smooth and thick. Check seasonings and adjust. Sprinkle with fresh dill and refrigerate. Serve with Ruffles Potato Chips.
