It seemed a bit mean at the time, my friends had all kinds of junk toys and they didn't have to work for them. So I spent a lot of time at my friends playing with them and their junk toys, realizing I was glad my parents didn't waste their limited money buying these toys for me because those toys seldom measured up to their advertising hype. Wanting is often times better than having. Later in my late teens my Dad told me "It's not about how much you make, it's about what you do with it" ... which turned out to be another very valuable lesson that has paid me dividends.
It was pretty much the same in my house growing up. We were taught to appreciate what we had because we weren't simply handed whatever we asked for. We also had a list of chores to do. It was one way we earned money for ourselves as kids.
It all started with picking rocks and sticks out of the tilled garden, weeding, picking string beans, peas, tomatoes ... raking leaves, and more chores each year. I didn't realize how blessed I was to have had the experience. Makes me miss my dear deceased folks more when I think about those days of "hardship" and now unable to thank them again for all they did.
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