This week's word dates from before the year 900, having its origin in the Middle English enogh, and Old English genōh; both are cognate with the German genug, Gothic ganohs and Old Norse nōgr. The Old English geneah (it suffices) and Sanskrit naśati (reaches or reaching) are kindred words.
Roget gives us the following synonyms: abundant, adequate, ample, full, sufficient, suitable, acceptable, bountiful, comfortable, competent, complete, copious, decent, enough already, plentiful and satisfying. Frugal and its noun form frugality are modern kindred and words I occasionally use in conversation.
Lewis Hyde's The Gift, Trickster Makes This World and Common As Air, are fine reading, and he makes good arguments for appreciating what we already have, for embracing the non-commercial (or commonwealth) aspects of the creativity that is our birthright and sharing it with other entities, with the Old Wild Mother (Earth) herself.
Have a look too at the works of Barry Lopez, in particular Arctic Dreams, also About This Life: Journeys on the Threshold of Memory and Horizon.
Those of you who have been visiting this place for a while already know that I am a long time admirer of Robin Wall Kimmerer's work, especially Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants.
In cultivating enoughness, we use what we have been given with grace and respect. We partake of a wild and earthy fruitfulness, a careful abundance and an ethic of universal stewardship. We walk through this world rooted and knowing our place in it. We live as the good stewards, artists and creators we were meant to be. Lewis Hyde, Barry Lopez and Robin Wall Kimmerer say it a lot better than I ever could.
I say it often. We should say thank you. We have to tread lightly on the earth and reduce our ecological footprint. We must whittle down our demands on a world strained almost beyond its regenerative powers by human excess, greed, cruelty and contempt.
Is the cup of our earthly days half empty or half full? That is up to us.
2 comments:
T love the wealth of references included in this important reminder which you have so beautifully crated.
Thank you,Cate.
Well my earthly days are probably at least 3/4 full in my cup! Enough, already!
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