So there was this sad young leader who wondered why everybody else was having fun and he wasn't. He was rich, and most everybody else wasn't, and he'd thought being rich would be better, but for some reason, he just wasn't happy.As he sat by the window, high up in his really fancy house, he watched everybody else smiling as they came and went about their day. They'd greet each other cheerfully and talk about things they were doing. Lots of times, they'd go off together to help each other on this project or that. Sometimes they did really hard work, and still they smiled and were happy.
So one day, this teacher was talking to folks about how to be truly happy, and crowds gathered to hear him talk and ask questions. The rich young leader decided he'd go hear what this teacher had to say; maybe he knew a secret.
Down the stairs and through the grand rooms and out through the huge doors he went. Down the road to the spot where the teacher and all the gathered people were sitting and talking ... the rich young leader just barged into the middle of things and asked, "Teacher, what do I need to do to have a happy life like these folks have?"The teacher looked right into his eyes, and after a moment, he told him, "You should go and sell everything you have and give it to people who need help, and then come follow along with us. Then you'll have a happy life."
oooOooooooh, there was such a hush across the crowd as the words settled on them all. The rich young leader didn't know what to say. In his head, he saw all the fancy stuff he had and his treasure in boxes in the basement, and he just couldn't bring himself to give up his fancy life. Without saying anything at all, he turned away sadly and went back home.
Out at the edge of the crowd, a really old fellow commented to his really old wife, "Wealth is like strawberries, sort of. If you have more than you can eat, they just get mushy and make a mess in your house. It's more fun if you give them away, and other people get to eat, too." The really old wife smiled. They'd learned a long time ago that giving is better than having, and that helping others was really the best part of a happy life.A little girl overheard their conversation and remembered her friend who really likes strawberries, so she got up and went to gather some. While she picked the strawberries, she ate some and saved some for her friend, and she smiled, thinking of how happy George and maybe Levi would be when she came with strawberries.
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So wealth is only a problem if wisdom fails. Too much wealth is like too many strawberries in the kitchen; it's just stupid, especially if you can give them away to somebody who doesn't have any strawberries.
For my smart granddaughter who knows wisdom is important. It's how you tell good from bad.