I am grateful I have enough money for my needs and that of my family, but not enough to buy whatever I want, whenever I want it, and for whomever I want.
Don't get me wrong. I like money. I like to spend money. However, tonight, as I was talking with a friend, she was saying how if she saw a child crying at the store because he wanted something, she would love to be able to buy that something for him.
This made me think. What message would this child get? Cry and it shall be given unto you? I heard someone else saying how she wanted to find a second job so that she could buy her children everything they wanted. What happened to spending time with the children being better than showering them with material things?
May be, this is what is wrong with today's society. Back then, children made due with what they had. They used their imagination. They received toys (many times handmade or hand-me-down ones) only at Christmas and possibly a birthday.
Nowadays, many children (not all children) get whatever they want when they want it... And when they grow up, they expect the same thing.
Then...life hits them... they cannot get what they want whenever they want it and, therefore, they get angry and they do (and/or say) things that are less than desirable.
Tonight, I am grateful I was never able to buy whatever my children wanted and whenever they wanted it. There have been times I did buy things for them just because, but it was not the norm and they were educational things (like books). Even so, one of them has grown up thinking he can spend money like there is no tomorrow. I am afraid to think at how he would behave if I did get whatever was wanted whenever he asked for it.
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