We were still enjoying the holidays with friends and family, when on a Sunday we took my brother and his wife to Leiper’s Fork, TN. This is a tiny community near our house that’s home to some of the biggest names in country music and is known for its artistic and down-home feel.
We ate lunch at Joe’s Natural Foods. Joe told us he used to be a hedge fund manager in New York City and then got involved in commercial space development for Lowe’s and Walmart. Millions of dollars were being managed every single day. His wife was a successful litigation attorney. Money flowed freely as they were living the American dream. And then he says that they discovered “a new kind of rich.”
Now their days start with their rooster doing “his best imitation of Pavarotti at 4:30 AM,” followed by the sounds of some of the other 50 pigs, chickens, goats, horses, bees, cows, dogs and cats. They don’t use air conditioning, so the windows are open to the sounds of the morning. They open their farm for weddings and Saturday night dinners. They enjoy sharing farming tips, meals and church with their Amish neighbors.
I selected a bowl of tomato bisque over rich while Joanne had an open bread hamburger with walnut/apple salad and fresh cole slaw. Our server tantalized us with the freshly baked cookies and nuts on the front counter. The quality and presentation of the food exceeded our wildest expectations.
So how do you define “rich?” Are you looking at just the dollars in your bank account or are you including the relationships you have, the energy you feel each morning, and the view from your front door? Do you enjoy the richness of your life more than some people you know with bigger financial portfolios?
On Sunday evening our house was filled with the sounds of children playing, the aroma of great food, the laughter of games being played, and the conversations that reminded us of the wonder in our lives.
Make this your year to discover “a new kind of rich” that many of those around you overlook.
