I ran across a quote the other day that really spoke to me and I’d like to share it with you. “Most don’t stop to think, but both having money and not having money make fantastic adventures possible that would not otherwise be possible.” This thought comes courtesy of www.tut.com. The idea here is there are benefits and blessings to both having and not having particular things.

I thought back years ago, when my best friend was in a long, successful marriage and I was a single mom with children to raise. My friend and I had a lot of wonderful times together, but often I had the freedom to do what I wanted without consulting anyone else. During these times she envied me my situation. But there were also times when it came to shoveling snow or fixing something in the house or not having a date for a wedding when I envied her her situation and the fact that she was married. She once said, “Sherry, 50% of the time I want to be you, and 50% of the time I want to be me.” I thought at the time that was such a great statement and really said it all. So when I saw the quote above, it brought that situation back to my memory full force.

There are pros and cons to every single situation we may find ourselves in during our lifetimes. If you own your own home with a nice yard, you are able to enjoy the privacy and pride of home ownership. But then you also have the repairs, taxes, and endless maintenance owning a home requires. If you rent an apartment, you merely have to pick up the phone to have your dripping faucet or air conditioner fixed and are freed from constant maintenance. However, you give up some privacy and have to adhere to rules when living in an apartment complex.

When you have children, you have all the blessings that come along with molding a soul and growing through all the challenges and events that happen in the course of your life with them. Once you are a parent, you will never not be a parent. It’s a role you’ll have for your entire life. If you decide not to have children, your time is freed up to devote to whatever career or project that is near and dear to your heart. Many people who choose not to have physical offspring have children in another way: the children of their creations.

If you have a lot of freedom in your life to travel and live just as you wish, you have that lovely free feeling and the adventure of seeing new things, yet you do not have the rootedness and constant connection to others that often makes us feel safe and secure. If you feel that your freedom is curtailed by life or family circumstances (think about George Bailey in the great Christmas movie “It’s a Wonderful Life”), you still have the satisfaction of knowing that you are a person of character and integrity that does not shirk responsibility.

If you have beautiful and expensive antiques or jewelry, you have the pleasure of enjoying beautiful things on a daily basis, but you also have the responsibility of insuring them and keeping them safe.

If you have money, it gives you the freedom to enjoy many things that you would not otherwise be able to enjoy. However, you will have the responsibility of being a good steward of your money if you wish to keep it. There is work involved and accountability to managing money. If you choose not to do this, you probably won’t keep your money for very long. Then will be able to enjoy the freedoms that come with not having money. This may seem like an oxymoron at first, but there are many people who prefer to just “have enough” and to not be burdened with the responsibility of dealing with investments, estate planning, insurances, and all the tasks that come along with managing your money.

I love the quote that says, “You can have everything but just not all at the same time.” There is good and bad in everything, so lets choose to enjoy the good that is found in our own particular circumstance. And when we’re ready for a change of pace, we can choose again. Now that’s adventure!

Sherry Kulakowski lives and works in Virginia Beach.