Have a Wonderful Day and Leave them with a smile.
Success is viewed differently depending on what your life goals and aspirations are.
Someone born into wealth and success undoubtedly has a greater burden and motivation to improve upon that success and leave their own mark as compared to someone born into the middle class or poverty.
I have found that people born into the lower middle class or at the poverty level often tend to strive for greater success to escape their inherited situation, or become complacent, primarily due to a lack of access to quality schools, effective teachers, adequate equipment, and the pressures of their surroundings.
As someone who would describe myself as mid to upper middle class, I achieved this through hard work and dedication, wanting to give our kids a good education in the different neighborhoods and religious communities that supported the ideals and growth we wanted for them. We also tried and were successful, at least for the first 10 years, for my wife to be a stay-at-home mom, something I don’t think is feasible today for most married couples. She is a woman who is smart and has many talents, one of which is sewing. This skill has brought in extra income on the side by working for a dry cleaner, an Interior decorator, making items to sell at flea markets, and the like.
We have had simple desires that we began to mindfully pursue, evolving over the years from 1976 to today. Our first goal was to buy our first house before welcoming our second child, which we accomplished within a few years. We focused on working and saving to create a life that would allow us to enjoy a vacation each year, even if it was just a few days, and set aside money for Christmas without accruing debt. This requires great discipline, especially when it comes to setting aside funds for unexpected expenses, such as car repairs or a leaky pipe.
We had planned to move as the market was favorable over the years, and did quite well with each of the three moves. We gave our four children the moral building blocks, education, disciplined working habits and every opportunity to be successful in their own lives. Most of our children have their own houses and do pretty well for themselves.
Point to Ponder: I once heard a rich man say, ” Success, especially great success, comes at a price and sometimes with great personal sacrifice. Be careful what you ask for, as you just may get it and lose some important things along the way.”
To our credit, we lead a comfortable life and have four wonderful kids, eight beautiful grandchildren, and, in the past year, two grand dogs. Most importantly, we have been there for all of life’s important moments; from witnessing their first teeth come in and fall out, to teaching them how to ride a bike, and helping them learn to throw and catch various balls. We’ve also had the privilege of coaching them in some sports.
We have supported them at every play, school meeting, sickness, game, graduation, wedding, birth, and every other milestone that follows. In the words of Clarence, the angel from the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life,” we can honestly say that ours has been a wonderful life. My wife and I will celebrate our 50th anniversary this January as proof in the pudding, so to speak.
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