Comments on: The Meaning

By: Molly

Molly — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 13:14:00 +0000

I’m really interested in hearing more about John’s campground, please. How’s it going?

By: CalifLady

CalifLady — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 22:05:01 +0000

#4 Lois: Thank you for sharing your sister’s thoughts about “stuff”. What a profound way to look at this topic. I will definitely keep her words in mind as I review what kind of “stuff” I can purge from my life.

My condolences on your loss.

By: tentaculistic

tentaculistic — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 16:52:57 +0000

I am so glad your cousin’s visit went well, especially since you were stressing in advance. I don’t pray, but I was sending you positive thoughts…

Lois Gibbs, how tragic, and what a powerful statement about “stuff”. It clogs the arteries of your soul. I’m sorry for your loss, and that of your family, and bless you.

I’m struggling with keeping relationships going right now in my life, so this is a good reminder.

By: Monica

Monica — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 13:36:03 +0000

Great post! Like the old saying goes, the most important things in life aren’t things.

By: Lois Gibbs

Lois Gibbs — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 13:25:17 +0000

I so agree. My sister recently died of pancreatic cancer a year after her fince ddied of the same thing. She had collected a lot of “stuff” over the years and was in the process of donating and selling it all. She wrote the following:

“How important is Stuff in the scheme of things?
Since being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, I have realised so many things.
1. Stuff, even family memorabilia, is NOT important AT ALL!
2. It will not mean as much to anyone else after we are gone. It may all be sold, tossed, or discarded.
3. Stuff won’t save your life, make you well, or even make you happy when you’re sad.
It clogs the arteries of your soul, dragging you down with it as it expands.
I’d rather lose all I own and have my fiancee and my health back.

By: jj

jj — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 12:19:23 +0000

Thanks for this thoughtful post, Trent. I’ve been thinking a lot about the same thing lately – priorities in life. Mine are people and relationships, as well. I’m focusing on simplifying my relatively simple life even more and spending my time (outside of work) on what I love the most – family and friends. Thanks for the encouragement, through your post, to continue! I love your blogs and look forward to them!

By: Thad Puckett

Thad Puckett — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 11:40:55 +0000

I read your blog regularly…first time comment.

This story struck home with me and I wanted to let you know I think you are spot on. I turn 50 in just a few weeks, but if I have learned anything as I have aged it is that the relationships I no longer have (because of moving around or change jobs or whatever) are what I miss more than anything. A few more dollars here or there might be nice. But a long talk with all the people that have impacted me through the years would be nicer.

It is not possible to put a dollar value on what makes a person truly wealthy: their relationships with family and friends.

Regards,

Thad

By: Aryeh

Aryeh — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 09:37:29 +0000

I agree with all you say about relationships being important. However, in recent years, I have had a lot of problems with relationships with family members and friends (even friends of more than 30 years) who live on other continents nit seeming to want any contact with me and my wife and kids or even having any interest in us. I have tried on many occasions to reach out to them and have either been rebuffed or not having any response to my e-mails or they deny having any problem with me at all, but when I see them on “chat” systems, they don’t answer me when it is obvious they are online. How do I get through to them???

By: Ashton

Ashton — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 05:22:08 +0000

It’s very true, what’s the point of owning the whole world if you lose it all in the end! Making money is fun, and that’s how it should be, but being with people that interact with you is way more fun!

By: Roberta

Roberta — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 04:36:50 +0000

Wow. I meant, of course, WRITE back.

By: Laurie

Laurie — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 02:51:39 +0000

This post comes at a good time for me. I have had a very difficult time staying in touch with people for about the last 5 years, for various reasons – full-time job plus graduate school plus small child plus injuries and illness. I am in the midst of trying to implement GTD (thanks for the great review of that, btw!) in order to get back on track generally and reconnect with some of them.

By: Pamela

Pamela — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 01:38:46 +0000

Good advice. Say “I’m sorry” even if you’re not entirely at fault. And don’t wait until Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Years’ – do it sooner. People and relationships are what’s important.

By: Roberta

Roberta — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 01:36:05 +0000

I’m really happy for you that this visit went well as I remember you sharing in a post not long ago that you were feeling anxious about its approach. This post of yours touched me very much, and it’s surprising that no one has commented yet about it. You are right, to be sure, and what’s odd is that doing GTD and adopting the frugal lifestyle and making all of the changes that I’ve been struggling to make–and they aren’t always easy–led me 2 weeks ago to google and write to a friend whom I’ve neither seen nor spoken to in at least 10 years, possibly more. I don’t know if she will right back. We did not have a falling out, but simply drifted apart. I have also joined Facebook and am reconnecting with a lot of people that way. Great post.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 22:18:44 +0000

I always love your posts and this one hit close to home for me. I recently separated from my husband and am filing for divorce in the next few days. Soon after moving out of our house I found friends on Facebook that I wasn’t allowed to talk to while I was married. I apologized to them for being a bad friend while trying to make my marriage work. But now I see that the things accrued in my marriage, the stuff I had bought years before to make me “happy” are not worth it. Those friends, and all the others, are what make my life everything it needs to be.

On the same note, while in the process of removing my stuff from the house, I was thinking to myself over and over again that it feels like my house is on fire and I can only take what is truly important to me and things I NEED to survive, not the things I want. I left almost everything there.

Thank you again for writing about all of these issues. They are always an important reminder of how to live simply and happily.

By: Janna

Janna — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 20:53:29 +0000

I have been meaning to write to let you know how much I enjoy The Simple Dollar. I appreciate your opinions on the variety of topics you discuss–money, family, friendship, work, books, food, games,etc. It seems like you are always the voice of reason on these topics.

I recently read comments on Get Rich Slowly when your book was reviewed. I was disturbed to read the negative comments and I hope you don’t think that is the attitude of most of your readers. (I wonder if the anonymity of the internet allows people to believe they are king/queen of the universe.)

Keep up the good work. I don’t have any money problems or debt, but I read your column just to reinforce my own thoughts in that topic. Thank you.