You Can't Take It With You...

My father is great at saving money, and like we’ve said before, me not so much. I have a shopping/spending problem.

But lately most of my ‘purchases’ have been on meals or concerts…things that drive my father crazy. Why go out to eat when you can eat in? Why go see someone live when you can listen to the cd? It never made sense to my father, and I get it. He’s about stability and providing for his wife, children and grandchild(ren). I, on the other hand, am still young and single. I get to be a little bit more selfish. I have no children or husband to care for.

Recently my friend’s family friend died. He was a doctor, very healthy never drank or smoke and he didn’t feel well and brought himself to the hospital. Two weeks later he was brain dead. She tells me, “You can’t take it with you.” I whole-heartedly agree. My equally intelligent money saving pal (the one who told me men love b*&^%es and how to shop at TJMaxx, Ross & Marshalls) tells me her boyfriend has everything so she can never find him the perfect gift but she can give him an experience.

I think that there is a balance that needs to be found. A balance between my father and his saving ways and my friends’ advice. That we should save so we can have those ‘experiences’ later on in life, but to remember to enjoy the experiences we can while we can. My friend told me, “God doesn’t promise tomorrow.” She’s right, we only have what’s here and now. It might not be equal in probability that we live or die each day, but I don’t know many people who say “Yeah, she lived just long enough.” But I do know people who made the most out of life and those who didn’t.

One of my favorite movies of all time has a quote and it goes a little something like this: “Either get busy living or get busy dying.”