Marcie Sims
This last couple weeks, I have been deeply moved by how many of my dear friends and family members reached out to me or took me out to celebrate my birthday which was a little more than a week ago. It’s a “meh” birthday number, nothing special, not one of the biggies, and yet, my loved ones and friends sent love and greetings via social media, mail, email, ecards, phone calls, texts, and long-overdue in-person get togethers full of laughs, food, and drink.
I didn’t know how much I needed all that love and connection after a very long pandemic and a sense of isolation on my beautiful little island (Vashon, Washington). But it turns out I really did. I feel so much brighter this week as a result of that precious community (both online and in-person community connections).
Though I am still anxious about Covid and the risk of getting sick, or people I love getting sick, and though I am now angst-ridden and worried about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and fears for the Ukrainian people (and all of us!)–especially as a person whose childhood was flooded with the fears caused by The Cold War with Russia and the fears of a Nuclear War and the “Duck and Cover” drills we did in my elementary classroom (as if a plastic classroom table top would protect me from a nuclear bomb dropped on our school!!)– I realized how very fortunate I am and how much I have to be grateful for.
A few weeks ago, I was reading a cheesy but good mystery novel, and in one of the last chapters, the main detective said something like “Money can buy you space, but not comfort or happiness.” So I really thought about that.
Money can buy you bigger spaces, houses, cars, first-class airplane seats with much more leg room and maybe even a bed to stretch out in during overnight flights…but it can not buy you mental comfort or comfort of the heart…or love! Which is more important? Of course we need to have our basic needs met, a safe place to sleep/live, food, etc., but lots of money doesn’t usually make people happy–in fact, some studies show that the very wealthy are often very unsatisfied and unhappy. After our basic needs are met, then, like in the illustration above in Maslow’s famous Hierarchy of Needs illustration, we need a sense of belonging and community (love from without) and also self-esteem and actualization (self love and peace with the self) to be fully happy and self-actualized.
The older I get, the more I appreciate what I have and the more I am content with myself and my life and the choices I have made, and I realize more than ever that the most important “things” that I have are not things at all (though I do enjoy my things, wink): it is people! My loved ones, family, and friends.
I am rich indeed. Thank you for that, my beloved friends and family.
You need no money, you can not buy friends. Yes we need money to have security, peace of mind and happiness and we like “things” to have wonderful surroundings. But…to have one friend no money is needed, just generosity, kindness, respect and love. To have one friend, makes us rich and to have many friends and still have family one is rich beyond compare. You write it so well, dearest Marcie and no amount of money can buy these riches. One is rewarded for kindness and love to call them friends one earned that. Thank you dearest Marcie. Ilona
Thank you, dear Ilona!
Wishing you a belated happy birthday Marcie! Thank you for sharing your thoughts, and I feel much the same way. The older I get, the less things matter, and the more I treasure my relationships with friends and family. I am content with my life, but not with the sad state of the world.