Patricija doesn\u2019t value money. To her, it\u2019s\u2026 just paper and metal that doesn\u2019t fit into her pink flamingo wallet, and when she receives yet another coin as a gift, she usually sighs:
\n\u201cAnd how am I supposed to fit another one in when there\u2019s barely any room left in my wallet\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n
Once, she offered the money she received to her brother. His eyes lit up like Mister Ego\u2019s eyes in the dark, and the offer was politely acknowledged:
\n\u201cIf you don\u2019t need it, I\u2019d be happy to\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
And the \u201caward\u201d was made. To someone familiar. To Daminykas.<\/p>\n
Lately, he\u2019s been very curious about money. He wants to know what things cost, how much the aunt sends me from work, how much grandma\u2019s pension is. He asks about taxes, loans, the cost of a house, why company money isn\u2019t the same as personal money, and why some people don\u2019t work but still get paid by the government.<\/p>\n
I patiently answer his questions. I want him to understand the value of money. I explain how many responsibilities adults have that require money to manage successfully:
\nHome, food, school, clothes, shoes, hobbies, entertainment, electricity, gas, internet, trash collection\u2026<\/p>\n
Do raises his eyes:
\n\u201cEven that costs money?\u201d he asks, raising his eyebrows.<\/p>\n
I nod, and he delivers the \u201cfinal\u201d question:
\n\u201cSo, Mom, are we rich or not?\u201d<\/p>\n
I smile:
\n\u201cWhat do you think?\u201d I ask, genuinely curious about his answer.<\/p>\n
After a moment of thought, he sighs:
\n\u201cIf you say so much has to go to everything every month, it doesn\u2019t look like much is left\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then he redirects the question to me:
\n\u201cAnd what about you, Mom, what do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel very rich,\u201d I answer.<\/p>\n
Do perks up, then quickly adds:
\n\u201cBecause I\u2019ve got treasures you couldn\u2019t buy even with all the money in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
I hug all my \u201cgolden nuggets,\u201d piled together on the bed for our evening chat after an intense day of the new school year.<\/p>\n
And in my mind, I add:
\nMoney shouldn\u2019t be counted in coins in pockets,
\nOr cards in wallets,
\nOr zeros in bank accounts.
\nIt should be counted in ARMSFULS.
\nArms that, over the years, barely hold all the treasures that make us truly happy.<\/p>\n
Friday.
\nGather your treasures in your arms.
\nAnd for a moment, think about just how incredibly rich we really are.<\/p>\n
Mua,
\nV.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","class_list":["post-17620","istorija","type-istorija","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/viktorijos.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/istorija\/17620","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/viktorijos.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/istorija"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/viktorijos.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/istorija"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/viktorijos.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17620"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}