The King's Golden Mistake

Rea,

Have you ever wanted more and more of something you love, only to discover that having too much of it ruins what made it special? An ancient Greek myth tells the story of a king who learned this lesson in an extraordinary way.

In Greek mythology, there was a king named Midas who loved gold more than anything else. He spent his days counting golden coins and decorating his palace with golden objects. No matter how much gold he had, he always wanted more.

One day, Dionysus, the god of celebration and wine, granted King Midas a wish. Without hesitating, Midas wished that everything he touched would turn to gold. Dionysus warned him to think carefully, but Midas was too excited to listen. “This is perfect!” he exclaimed. “I’ll be the richest king in the world!”

At first, it seemed wonderful. Midas touched trees and flowers, watching them transform into beautiful golden sculptures. But then he tried to eat - his food turned to solid gold. He tried to drink - his water became golden too. Even his soft bed became hard, cold metal. Worst of all, when his daughter ran to give him a hug, she turned into a golden statue.

That’s when Midas realized something important: gold was only valuable because it could be traded for things that actually mattered - like food, water, and the people we love. When everything was gold, the gold itself became worthless. Crying, he begged Dionysus to take back the golden touch, and the god agreed.

It’s kind of like having your favorite food for every meal - even pizza gets boring if you never eat anything else. Or like playing your favorite song so many times that you don’t want to hear it anymore. Sometimes what makes something special is that it’s different from everyday things.

Love, Abba

P.S. Next time you really want more and more of something, think about King Midas. Sometimes having just enough of something is what makes it perfect!