As with a lot of large, close families the number of people living in our house changes on a pretty regular basis, Within months of the third of my daughters moving out to attend college, my niece moved in for a year and a half. Two months after my niece moved out, one of my daughters moved back in to go to graduate school. With all of the moving in and out, every few months I go through the closets, bookshelves, dressers, kitchen and bathroom drawers and cupboards and throw things out. If I didn't, we'd soon be drowning in stuff.
Today, yet again, I was tossing into boxes to give to charity books that we had two copies of (and no one had read either one), DVDs no one watched any more, clothes that had not been worn out but just outgrown or out of fashion. As usual, I went through all of the medals and trophies. I have one daughter who has been in two Olympics and an 11-year-old who has been competing in judo since she was four years old. As always, I came across lots of medals and trophies I did not know were won by who for what. My motto is, "
I kept all of Ronda's international medals, but much of the rest of the shiny things went into the trash. As I carried yet another box of awards, medals and trophies out to the garbage, I thought of how out of touch so many people are when it comes to stuff, whether it is national championships, the latest electronic gadget or a t-shirt with your favorite celebrity's picture on it. Here is a a line I hear so much I am sick of it,
What I understand is that you are using your children as an excuse for your own cowardice. I have certainly had my share of difficult financial times, when I was in college, then graduate school, when my husband died and I had three young children. What I understood was that my children needed values more than shiny things. Maybe Maria and Jenn did not get to go to the most expensive private high school, but she saw by example that you get ahead in the world through hard work and education, not by fawning on the right people. Maria graduated from New York University and is a superb journalist. Jenn graduated from SFSU at 21, taught school for a while and, at age 23, began graduate school at USC.
Your children don't need more stuff that will get thrown away in six months no matter how much they told you today that their life would end and no other child in their school would ever talk to them if they did not get that exact lunch box with the Jonas Brothers on it. They need ethics.Values. I guarantee you, you won't find yourself throwing those in the trash in six months.
Oh, what about the third daughter? I'll discuss her in my next post, "Do it for the widows and orphans."
Today, yet again, I was tossing into boxes to give to charity books that we had two copies of (and no one had read either one), DVDs no one watched any more, clothes that had not been worn out but just outgrown or out of fashion. As usual, I went through all of the medals and trophies. I have one daughter who has been in two Olympics and an 11-year-old who has been competing in judo since she was four years old. As always, I came across lots of medals and trophies I did not know were won by who for what. My motto is, "
"If you don't know who won it, what it is or where you got it, it can't be of much sentimental value to you."
I kept all of Ronda's international medals, but much of the rest of the shiny things went into the trash. As I carried yet another box of awards, medals and trophies out to the garbage, I thought of how out of touch so many people are when it comes to stuff, whether it is national championships, the latest electronic gadget or a t-shirt with your favorite celebrity's picture on it. Here is a a line I hear so much I am sick of it,
"AnnMaria, you just don't UNDERSTAND. Sure, I overlooked that the board members spent $150,000 on their own travel and entertainment expenses. I am doing this for my kids, not for me. I have a family to support. I need to provide for my children. I can't afford to lose this income. It will be bad for my family. I can't take that chance."
What I understand is that you are using your children as an excuse for your own cowardice. I have certainly had my share of difficult financial times, when I was in college, then graduate school, when my husband died and I had three young children. What I understood was that my children needed values more than shiny things. Maybe Maria and Jenn did not get to go to the most expensive private high school, but she saw by example that you get ahead in the world through hard work and education, not by fawning on the right people. Maria graduated from New York University and is a superb journalist. Jenn graduated from SFSU at 21, taught school for a while and, at age 23, began graduate school at USC.
Your children don't need more stuff that will get thrown away in six months no matter how much they told you today that their life would end and no other child in their school would ever talk to them if they did not get that exact lunch box with the Jonas Brothers on it. They need ethics.Values. I guarantee you, you won't find yourself throwing those in the trash in six months.
Oh, what about the third daughter? I'll discuss her in my next post, "Do it for the widows and orphans."
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