You can't always get what you want.

What a terrible message to sing to a baby. No wonder I never chased anything. No wonder why I felt uncomfortable asking for things.

I was showering recently and, like often happens, a random memory surfaced. 

I recalled my mom sharing a lullaby my dad sang to me as a baby.

The non-traditional lullaby was The Rolling Stones’, You Can’t Always Get What You Want. 

As I worked the shampoo into a lather, I was annoyed. You can’t always get what you want. What a terrible message to sing to a baby. No wonder I never chased anything. No wonder why I felt uncomfortable asking for things.

What harm was there in thinking that you can always get what you want?  It doesn’t mean you think it will be handed to you without hard work. It simply leaves all possibilities on the table. 

Imagine not giving this cutie what she wanted!? By the way that’s Louie the Lobster. He still exists in my nightstand and is my most faithful companion.

Despite the annoyance, I reflexively started to hum and channel my inner Mick Jagger.

Once I reached the end of the chorus, my agitation instantly washed away with the shampoo. 

…but if you try sometimes, well you might just find, you get what you need.

Maybe it was the scenery of the shower, or my morning tea kicking in, but suddenly it all made sense. What a great message to give to a baby. I just wish the Rolling Stones added a little more detail.

Here is my extended cut:

You can’t always get what you want right now. 
That doesn’t mean that you won’t get it eventually, or in a different form. 
Trust the timing of the universe.

Maybe there is a better version that awaits.
Maybe there is a lesson unfolding.
Maybe there is a danger avoided.

Somewhere in the denial you’re getting what you need. 

Hey Dad and Mick, what do you think of that? 

Wholeheartedly, 

Maggie 

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My journal, Lessons from Nature is now out. You can find it here.

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