“Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise”
Benjamin Franklin
As a young girl, I grew up hearing my father repeat this quote over and over again. Daddy, -as I call him- has passed the average lifespan of three scores and ten, and at 87 can be considered healthy and young at heart in many ways. His positive attitude in life and strong spiritual values keep him mentally stable amid tempest and trial. And he takes good care of himself physically as well.
My mother suffered a brain stroke five years ago at age 85. Her condition at the time didn’t seem promising, and we all thought she would ‘check-out’ before she turned 86. The good news is that mamá, -as I call my mother- recently turned 91, is mentally stable, humoristic and standing on the promises of God, as we say.
I do hope the Creator of Life favors both my parents with health and strength for many more years.
As for wealthy, this depends on one’s understanding of wealth. According to The Free Dictionary “An abundance of valuable material possessions or resources” is one of many definitions. In most cases, wealth is associated with favorable monetary conditions. We’re all familiar with the proverb “money doesn’t buy happiness” and the biblical quote “the love of money is the root of all evil.” More often than not these quotes are used by those who don’t possess money in abundance or other material wealth.
While I can’t boast of possessing monetary wealth, daddy often called me his ‘rich’ daughter. He would say: “You getting up throwing bbq-party any old time, only rich people do those things.” Or say to my mom: “ask your ‘rich’ daughter to buy such or so.”
Coming from humble beginnings, I have to admit, I did quite well in past times and look forward to better times again. After all, “money answers all things” is a biblical quote seldom used.
As beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, so does wealth and riches to each. It’s about one’s perspective on material, spiritual, physical and financial wealth. One cannot enjoy wealth without health, and health without some form of wealth, could be exhausting. In the Caribbean we say: “no money, no honey” whatever your ‘honey’ might be.
A generous amount of wisdom is required to enjoy both health and wealth as well as to guide matters with honesty, integrity, and dignity. No wonder the brilliant wisdom of King Solomon in the Bible is praised by many and seen as the classic example to follow. As opposed to certain modern day health- and wealth gospel teachers and preachers, King Solomon asked God for wisdom. [ 1 Kings 3:10 ]
We have many examples of wealthy people, who still commit suicide and do terrible things. Whereas the ‘poor’ person, -often portrayed in a distant foreign country-, might be right in your backyard, with an abundance of wisdom, mental and spiritual wealth, free for the asking.
If you were expecting ten steps to climb to stay healthy, twelve formulas to attain wealth, or twenty wisdom quotes to read, sorry for the disappointment. Those are found in abundance elsewhere. I’m just passionately sharing my thoughts and views on life’s issues, from a personal perspective and experience. I look forward to reading yours.
Colorfully,
Tirzah
