Money, Time and Relationships
When we were at college, money was the most important element of my life. We needed it to pay bills and buy things we liked. Many of us worked many not so glamor jobs, exchanged time for money. We learned tremendously from that life experience. We treasured money.
After a few years of stable jobs, we earned more money. But money was never enough for us to feel secure. We work more. We work day and night. Some of us have to make appointments with our spouses just to spend some time alone. We became smarter over time, we now use money to buy time: we pay for cooks, cleaning services, baby sitters; we pay drivers to drive our kids around, we get 1-1 private classes for our children at home. When we sit next to our children, we check our messages, reply to our boss’ emails at all hours. One of my friend’s son one day yelled at her: “ You love your phone more than your love me!” We are physically with our family but our minds drift away to our work. We are never with our family 100%.
One Sunday morning this past summer, I opened my laptop as usual to work on some projects. A newspaper cartoon clip was on my screen: ”Are you more available to your devices than to your family? Are you sure? Then why is this message taped to your computer?” My son signed his name on the newspaper.
I turned around, my son looked at me with a big smile. I closed my laptop, spent a memorable Sunday with my family at the beach.
While sitting on the beach watching a beautiful sunset, I realized a funny circle I went through:
After a few years of stable jobs, we earned more money. But money was never enough for us to feel secure. We work more. We work day and night. Some of us have to make appointments with our spouses just to spend some time alone. We became smarter over time, we now use money to buy time: we pay for cooks, cleaning services, baby sitters; we pay drivers to drive our kids around, we get 1-1 private classes for our children at home. When we sit next to our children, we check our messages, reply to our boss’ emails at all hours. One of my friend’s son one day yelled at her: “ You love your phone more than your love me!” We are physically with our family but our minds drift away to our work. We are never with our family 100%.
One Sunday morning this past summer, I opened my laptop as usual to work on some projects. A newspaper cartoon clip was on my screen: ”Are you more available to your devices than to your family? Are you sure? Then why is this message taped to your computer?” My son signed his name on the newspaper.
I turned around, my son looked at me with a big smile. I closed my laptop, spent a memorable Sunday with my family at the beach.
While sitting on the beach watching a beautiful sunset, I realized a funny circle I went through:
Using time to earn money when we don’t have money, then using money to buy time when we run short on time. However, time and money become insignificant when our most important relationships are hurting.
How much time and money do you invest in your most important relationships? What are you going to do differently in the coming days and years?
How much time and money do you invest in your most important relationships? What are you going to do differently in the coming days and years?
Elizabeth Xu on Thanksgiving Day
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