Dear Q,

I will be the first to tell you that we give more power to money than it deserves.  Money is not worth anything; it is just paper or coin.  What it symbolizes is powerful, and in our increasingly cashless culture, money maintains it’s power even if doesn’t exist in a physical sense.  The meaning we attribute to money is arbitrary, yet it rules the world.  And, we let it.

As much as the concepts of money, ownership, and capitalism conflict with what I know to be true, to live in this world, I have to understand them.

We live in a culture that is ruled by credit.  Never spend more than you have in an effort to impress people you don’t know, or don’t like.  Remember your lesson on ego, and before you make a purchase, ask yourself why you desire it.  Is it kind? Is it necessary?  Is it true?  If you have doubts, then don’t spend – even if it’s only for a coffee.

Whether you have money or not, don’t let it rule your life; the more you focus on it, the more it will consume you and define your life.  Remember, you may need money to live, but you never need it to be.

Love always,

Mom