I grew up “poor” here in the mountains of my home. Now we always had more than enough to eat. We always had clothes on our backs. We always had a home except for a few days when my Nana’s house that I first lived in burned down. We always were rich in love, laughter, and joy.

Society, however, kept showing me just how “poor” we were. Commercials, television shows, and magazines always showed the many things you needed to have to enjoy “The Good Life.” I decided then to graduate college, get a high paying job, and buy all the things I could never afford before. I even cut out pictures of a Mercedes Benz and a fancy mansion out of a magazine to keep my eyes on what I wanted.

God, however, had other plans for me. I struggled to find work after college. Life was hard. Money was tight. First one and then two of my children were diagnosed with Autism and being mentally handicapped. In the years that followed I saw that I was never going to have that big house and expensive car. I was never going to be rich or admired in the eyes of the world.

Looking back on all of those years now I can only look up to the heavens and say: “Thank You!” I can see so clearly now that being wealthy wasn’t what I needed in this life. Losing myself in the search for money and things would have meant losing my own soul. I had to learn what truly makes a rich life here. I had to learn that love is the most valuable thing of all. I had to learn that in the eyes of God we are all rich, we are all priceless, and we are all Loved.

Robert Fulghum wrote: “Living the good life and living a good life are not the same thing.” I am so grateful God guided me to live a good life: a life full of love, a life full of laughter, a life full of kindness, and a life full of joy. In truth I have never been poor a single day in my life. I have instead always been rich in all the things that matter. And that is my wish for you.