10.13.

My anniversary was just as low key as I could have hoped. We slept in, went to our favorite sushi place for lunch, then took a boat ride through winter park, the wealthiest and oldest part of Orlando. I though the point of the boat ride was to look at the beautiful scenery, foliage and maybe try to spot some interesting wild life but it was more a tour of how the wealthy live: "over here we have a 5 million dollar house that after buying, the owner's wife decided she didn't like so they tore it down and built another 5 million dollar house." And that was just the beginning. There were his and hers boat houses, a property with 4 large guest houses, a 7 car garage because the owner "likes to drive a different car to work everyday."

Mostly, I sat quietly and occasionally whispered to Nathan "I can't imagine." Because, lowly little me can't imagine. I feel incrediably fortunate in this economy to be able to pay my $1200 mortgage. I feel fortunate to have a tiny, tiny townhouse that we can call ours and 2 cars (fully paid off!) that are gaining years and milage but get us from point a to point b. We don't take expensive trips (mostly just day trips around the state) or have expensive items in our house (I can say with great satisfication that nearly everything is Target or World Market) and there is not a moment in my life where I don't think I have enough.

Would it be wonderful to have a guest house for my guests? To be able to attend a $42,000 school? To live in one of the most beautiful parts of the city? To be able to afford a physical trainer or a chef or both? I can say with utmost certainity, yes. But I don't need it, and some times when I think if for some reason we struck it rich, what would we do differently, I can't come up with any good reason to do anything differently.

One woman on the boat made a poignant comment: "these people have more money then sense." And it's true. No one needs 7 cars when some don't have enough money to put food on the table. No one needs a ballroom in their house when people struggle living pay check to pay check. People don't need 8 bathrooms and 21 bedrooms in their house when only 2 people live there. It's silly. And reckless. And down right greedy.

I suppose I have some things they may never have. A happy marriage. A dog that lights up my day and my life. And the realization that money is not everything.