Our lives revolve around being connected to the internet which leads to constant consumption of information. Whether waiting for Sophia to fall asleep or taking a short break from making balls and snakes in Playdoh, I find myself reading articles, editorials, blogs, and yes, even checking my Facebook or twitter feeds. Once in a while, there is a really good article that resonates with me quite a bit and leaves a lot to think about.
I read this article during a gloriously lazy Sunday morning while Sophia watched Sesame street. In reading the article, I tried to understand how similar or different my priorities are with those presented by the author. To be perfectly clear, I am not talking about income levels and actually believe that spending, much like class, transcends income levels. To a certain degree, our priorities and choices in life guide our spending.
Last year, I wrote about choosing a gift for Evan for his 30th birthday. Even then, like in the Times’ article, I said that the best gifts are experience or gifts that enable experiences. If you ask me or Evan what we want for our birthdays this year, we would have a tough time coming up with a tangible gift. Not because we are spoiled, but because we don’t think about our lives in the context of things. Spartan and uncluttered is how we like our life, our house and our closets.
We make no lofty goals about furnishing our house which stands with entire rooms still empty or remodeling outdated baths and kitchen. We happily put off buying couches and dining room sets in favor of building memories and paying for a nanny. I would be a hypocrite if I didn’t admit to having a penchant for jewelry and handbags but have curbed those me habits in honor of us habits. It isn’t that I cannot afford my me habits, it is rather that I have no desire to show off my socio-economic status with things. I have little desire to collect fine china or antique silver because those are just things and I have no idea whether or not my taste, my choices and my old things will be of any use to the next generation.
My biggest goal in life is similar to many other families. It is to set Sophia on a successful path through enabling enriching experiences for her. Lastly, and most importantly, no matter your socio-economic status, always give to those in need and teach your children to do it, too.
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