Indy took his best girlfriend out for a gallop on the neighbors wooden horse. The two rode double up and down the sidewalk for ages, chasing butterflies and kittens and other children. All the laughter and shouts of glee reminded me of my fortune that i am able to stay home with him, and not miss these moments.
Sometimes we grumble about not having that second income. It's hard to see our friends with extra cash to play golf or see a movie or buy a new CD; i feel bad that i cant afford to take my kids out to lunch or shopping at the mall, but really... it's worth it. There's always a picnic of homemade sammies (sandwiches) at the park across the street, and it's nearly free to walk to the lake a few blocks away and feed them old bread (there is a bread outlet near here that will sell a grocery bag full of "animal feed" bread for a dollar!). Ice tea is inexpensive to make and wonderful to sip on the porch.
So, we aren't living in a big house, with an even bigger mortgage. So, we aren't driving matching Expeditions. So, we spend less time in restaurants than our contemporaries... less time on the golf course than our friends. We have Indy, riding double with his girlfriend on a borrowed stick horse. I feel bad for my friends... i am sipping tea on my porch watching my baby play and grow and learn and share and THRIVE, they are at work.
2 comments:
I envy you!
You're rich beyond description. For years, I've defined a successful life in ways that are completely anathema to today's consumer-driven ethic. Most folks laughed at me when I talked about the treasures that can be found in the simplest of things.
An interesting offshoot of skyrocketing energy prices is a renewed focus on the simple. The matching-Expedition drivers are probably crying in their credit card bills now.
And what they miss as their kids grow up? Can't even begin to put a price on it. You're right where you need to be. Change nothing.
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