Gifts
2019 I think I inherited my concern about money from my Mom. Maybe my Dad too. They began their life together during the Depression. A box in the roll top desk in the living room held envelopes filled with dollar bills to pay the doctor, dentist, rent, groceries. It was my mother's way of keeping track of what was owed. Nothing ever became overdue or was purchased on credit. When they retired and moved to Leisure World in California, my sisters and I were concerned they might not be able to afford the costs and we agreed if help was needed, we would all chip in. That's when we found out they had saved several hundred thousand dollars. How they did that remains a mystery to me but then they rarely took vacations or bought new furniture or clothing. What I never inherited was their frugality. I expected Steve to earn whatever we needed and I enjoyed buying new clothes, decorating at will, enjoying my leisure, traveling freely. At the same, I worried about what was in our savings...