Millionaires

When my son, Weston, was a toddler, my mother and I took him to a mall in Paramus, New Jersey, where he ran, played, and rode the merry-go-round.

“He’s a millionaih!’ called out an older man in a thick NJ accent who was people-watching from a nearby bench. My mother and I looked at him and smiled. He was absolutely right. Weston was a millionaire.

What 18-month-old Weston was doing with his millions was being present, experiencing joy, and learning & growing among people who thought the world of him. He was also given the freedom (within limits) to do so. The man recognized all of that.

Weston is now 27 and I’ve thought about the wisdom of that man countless times. I wonder what his life had been like. Maybe he was a millionaire himself. If so, he clearly wasn’t hoarding his millions. He was giving them away with words of inspiration to mall-goers in New Jersey.

What are you doing with your riches? Are you hoarding them? Chasing after your next million? Or are you experiencing the richness of your life with presence, growth and love?