First Weekend Without Tiki
First Weekend Without Tiki
Today is the first weekend I am spending without Tiki because she is in Charleston, South Carolina for a business trip. I am staying home and taking things slow. It has not been a bad week, just a little tiring. Being a “super dad” means cooking, doing household chores, taking care of the kid, and trying to keep everything running. Luckily, my mom has been helping, so it has not been too bad.
Recently, I have been reading a lot of books about happiness, financial independence, early retirement, and how people should think about life. At first, I thought retirement was simple: once I have enough money, I can retire and be happy. But the more I read, the more complicated it feels.
One idea that stayed with me is that time becomes more valuable as we get older. When we work, we are basically trading our time for money. But if the work is not something we truly love, then what are we really trading away? If we spend our healthiest years chasing money, and later have money but no energy or health to enjoy it, then what is the point?
Another idea I liked is that health is also part of wealth. If I have more time to cook, eat better food, work out, and rest, maybe I earn a little less right now. But in the long term, I might spend less money on medical problems and have a better life. On the other hand, if I work too hard at the cost of my health, I may end up paying for it later.
Right now, my thoughts are still changing. I know money is important, but I also feel it is not as important as I used to think. When I was 18, I worked two whole months at an ice cream store to save enough money to buy an iPhone. Now I can probably earn enough for an iPhone in two days, but the iPhone itself does not make me happier. Even if I bought a big truck, I imagine the excitement would fade after a few days or weeks.
Maybe after a certain point, the goal of having more money is not just to buy more things. Maybe the goal is to become more free, more generous, and eventually more selfless. I do not think I am fully at that stage yet, but I can understand the idea.
What I do know is that I appreciate the life I have right now. I have a good family, a good wife, a good son, a home, and my health. I bought a house at 30, and I do not have to worry about where to live. That is already a lot.
I do not know exactly what the future will bring, but I want to face problems more positively. I want to keep a better balance between money, health, family, and time. Today, I just want to remember this feeling: life is not perfect, but it is already very valuable.