i have heard a lot of stories about family struggles...i guess we've been through it all.
our standard of living has never really reached the point of outlandishness. growing up, i never had the chance to own a bag worth more than a pair of greg shoes. some would say expenses for basic necessities have weighed them down, but their luxury cars gave them away. some even parade in signature clothes and designer bags on their "tired" shoulders, complaining about how cruel life is...the "poor little rich girl" stories are indeed entertaining.
the true test of poverty does not have standards. to my mind, being poor is never relative. after going through very difficult times, i can safely say that of all the things we lacked, expensive watches, jewelry and signature clothes were never part of our common discontent. whereas, food on the table, soap and shampoo diluted our everyday hopeful disposition and emptied our shallow pockets. we didn't have enough resources to venture into profitable businesses. for us, it was indeed the height of ingenuousness.
it was only during law school when i learned how to really count my blessings. i fought with my heart a dozen times. i willed myself to want only the things we can afford...until the day came when buying leather bags and loafers was finally feasible. although i have whined about not having this and that, i was young then, and it was my lone excuse because my mom only had tenderness for me. she never said "no"...only "next time na lang, anak..."
soon after owning things we thought impossible, at last, my family decided to build a new home.
ain't life grand? come to think of it, i never did classify our family as "poor", although there was a time when i'd brave taking the quickest shower because there was not enough soap to last an hour's bath. there was no time to fret and grieve about not having the best things in life (the best "material" things, that is).
all that mattered to me was seeing my mom at the end of the day, having her usual glass of coke...looking radiant and beautiful as ever.
if i were to put a price tag on her smile, i'd even say we're filthy rich.
our standard of living has never really reached the point of outlandishness. growing up, i never had the chance to own a bag worth more than a pair of greg shoes. some would say expenses for basic necessities have weighed them down, but their luxury cars gave them away. some even parade in signature clothes and designer bags on their "tired" shoulders, complaining about how cruel life is...the "poor little rich girl" stories are indeed entertaining.
the true test of poverty does not have standards. to my mind, being poor is never relative. after going through very difficult times, i can safely say that of all the things we lacked, expensive watches, jewelry and signature clothes were never part of our common discontent. whereas, food on the table, soap and shampoo diluted our everyday hopeful disposition and emptied our shallow pockets. we didn't have enough resources to venture into profitable businesses. for us, it was indeed the height of ingenuousness.
it was only during law school when i learned how to really count my blessings. i fought with my heart a dozen times. i willed myself to want only the things we can afford...until the day came when buying leather bags and loafers was finally feasible. although i have whined about not having this and that, i was young then, and it was my lone excuse because my mom only had tenderness for me. she never said "no"...only "next time na lang, anak..."
soon after owning things we thought impossible, at last, my family decided to build a new home.
ain't life grand? come to think of it, i never did classify our family as "poor", although there was a time when i'd brave taking the quickest shower because there was not enough soap to last an hour's bath. there was no time to fret and grieve about not having the best things in life (the best "material" things, that is).
all that mattered to me was seeing my mom at the end of the day, having her usual glass of coke...looking radiant and beautiful as ever.
if i were to put a price tag on her smile, i'd even say we're filthy rich.
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