A Money Story

A Money Story
Finally, I want to share a story told by Sister Maria Jose Hobday, a Franciscan nun and author who has written and lectured internationally for 30 years on Native American spirituality, prayer, and simplicity. In the 1930s, her family was living on the edge of poverty:
"One Saturday evening I was working late on my homework. I was in the living room, my brothers were outside with their friends, and my parents were in the kitchen, discussing our financial situation. It was very quiet, and I found myself more and more following the kitchen conversation rather than attending to my homework. Mama and Daddy were talking about what had to be paid for during the week, and there was very little money -- a few dollars.
"As I listened, I became more and more anxious, realizing there was not enough to go around. They spoke of school needs, of fuel bills, of food. Suddenly the conversation stopped, and my mother came into the room where I was studying. She put the money -- a couple of bills and a handful of change -- on the desk. ‘Here,' she said, ‘go find two or three of your brothers and run to the drugstore before it closes. Use this money to buy strawberry ice cream.' I was astonished! I was a smart little girl, I knew we needed this money for essentials. So I objected. ‘What? We have to use this to pay bills, Mama, to buy school things. We can't spend this on ice cream!' Then I added, ‘I'm going to ask Daddy.' So I went to my father, telling him what Mother had asked me to do. Daddy looked at me for a moment, then threw back his head and laughed. ‘You mother is right, honey,' he said. ‘When we get this worried and upset about a few dollars, we are better off having nothing at all. We can't solve all the problems, so maybe we should celebrate instead. Do as your mother says.'
"So I collected my brothers and went to the drugstore. In those days, you could get a lot of ice cream for a few dollars, and we came home with our arms full of packages. My mother had set the table, made fresh coffee, put out what cookies we had and invited the neighbors. It was a great party! I do not remember what happened concerning other needs, but I remember the freedom and fun of that evening. I thought about that evening many times, and came to realize that spending a little money for pleasure was not irresponsible. It was a matter of survival of the spirit. The bills must have been paid; we made it through the weeks and months that followed. I learned my parents were not going to allow money to dominate them. I learned something of the value of money, of its use. I saw that of itself it was not important but that my attitude toward it affected my own spirit, could reduce me to powerlessness or give me power of soul."
Wishing you power of soul in abundance in the New Year.

http://finance.yahoo.com/expert/article/moneyhappy/131034;_ylt=AvjGsuP3u0cFDXOeOmx8biS7YWsA