131. Rich

After teaching today I picked Katie up at a year-end class swim party and then we went to get her sister at her fine art water color class. The three of us went to purchase some last minute Father's day presents. We returned home and the girls played for several hours in the warm sun making water ballons and throwing them at each other. I sat on the patio, read my book, drank a bit of wine, and thought about tonight's posting.

The other day my daughter asked me why we are not rich. The answer to her question was not simple. I think she was asking simply about monetary value. Do we have a lot of money? Even that is not a simple answer. In America are we rich? No, middle class. In the world? Our pets live better than many people in the world. How do you explain this to a ten year old?

As a child, her developmental age only allows for concrete, black and white thinking. We are rich or poor, smart or stupid, happy or sad, etc. She isn't mature enough to understand the subtly of life. But watching the girls tonight playing in the sun, laughing and throwing water balloons at each other it is hard not to think we are rich. My girls are healthy. Growing up in America they are as free from prejudice, harm, and risk as they can be. They have access to a wonderful free education (even with bad budget problems.) Likely they can grow up to become whatever they choose. I hope one day she will understand how truly rich her life is.

I came from a family of doctors and lawyers, but choose to be a community college educator. I choose to work less and therefore have less, but hoping I can teach my daughters often less is more.