For a decade out of college
we worked hard to pay school debt.
We barely made ends meet
As we saved every penny and never splurged on a lunch out
Even if I didn’t pack a lunch.
Working hard like running a marathon
With broken shoes, scraped knees, shaking hands grappling with life
Not knowing when the next rest stop might be.
The moment we paid off the crushing school debt
We saved enough to leave Silicon Valley behind
And move to Romania to build a family
to raise a family
Less costly, less hunger for riches,
less fear of being destitute in one wrong move
A lay off or a sickness.
We live under the poverty line according to the american standards
And probably even cluj standards by now.
But we have enough. Always enough. More than enough.
Enough to be generous with others.
Enough to raise a family with healthy food and a safe car.
We don’t turn away hand me down clothes from friends
And our vacations are conferences in beautiful locations
where we both serve with our gifts as a means of payment.
In the pandemic
we moved into our house on the hill
Purchased with apple stock
Bought with my meager salary
in apple retail back in 2010.
We had a stringent need for space
as we adopted our second daughter
The timing was incredible
before the real state prices skyrocketed
Since then
We have hosted every week
for Friday meals:
Strangers and acquaintances
Friends of friends and foreign students
Adoptive families and young families
Refugees or long time friends
Our kids friends, neighbors or school mates
There has always been room
For one more chair, one more plate
Our pot of soup, strew or pasta
multiplied as we filled each plate
Like the oil in Sarepta.
Preteens in Jackie’s class were debating whose family is richest among them.
And they thought it was us.
When Jackie told me I bursted out laughing
I never wanted to comes across as rich
Even if we would ever be so
As to not be the cause of envy in anyone’s heart
We often admit to not having much money coming in
but maybe riches are what pours out.