I Thought You Were Rich If.....

I used to think differently about what it meant to be rich.  When I was little it was all about money.  The more money you had the richer you were.  The more things you had, the bigger house you had, the nicer car you drove, the nicer clothes you wore, and well, you get the idea!

Through the years I have realized that MONEY is not at all about being rich.  I guess for some people, it still is about the money, but for me, there are things that are of far greater worth than the money.  Sure it would be nice if I was out of debt completely, and I am working hard towards that goal.  Sure it would be

Christmas of 2012

nice to have a bigger home, that would fit my six children, two inlaws(a son and a daughter) and three grandchildren, a little more comfortably.  No they don't all live at home, but a good chunk of them do!  Sure it would be nice to have a vehicle that didn't break down all the time.  Reality is, what would I change for any of these things - NOTHING!

Since this pic, a year ago we have added this little man to our family!

Jax

I have riches beyond what many people have.  I have realized this many times lately, when I visit people who have money, but have no FAMILY.  I have several friends who are in this situation, and they have the nice things that money can buy, but they are very lonely!  I can't imagine how lonely life would be for me without my family.  They are my priceless possessions!  I wouldn't have it any other way.

Some people just have priorities that are different than mine, I guess.  I wouldn't trade anything that I did to have this family for anything that someone else has.  Would I do it again?  You bet! 

There are days when I feel like my house is in perpetual chaos!  And I joke about it often being that way, and I know that someday, it will quite down, and they will all move away, and I don't look forward to that.

I now know that being rich is having family around you, all of the time.  Being rich is having a knowledge of the purpose of life and what it is really all about.  Being rich is having enough, and know when that enough is.  Being rich is having good friends that are always there for you.  Being rich is being able to

cousins at a family reunion

love the life you have.  Being rich is being able to help others when they have needs.  Being rich is understanding that there is way more to being rich than money.  Being rich is having awesome family reunions.  Being rich is having cousins to play with.  Being rich is having someone close that you can call anytime, who will laugh or cry with you, and not judge you.  Being rich is having someone know you so well that your birthday present every year is a pair of socks that match, and you can laugh at the inside joke and love that person more because of it. 

Family Reunion

I am rich!  Someday the actual possessions part of being rich may come along as well, but I don't really care about that anymore.  Money can come and go.  Money can't buy what I have in my life, and that to me is more valuable than anything. 

Now there are some of you who probably are thinking that this attitude is how broke people justify not having money.  Nope!  It is real! I have been broke, and I have had money, and the attitude of being rich is still the same with either. 

Why are you rich?  I would love to hear what you think!