A few years ago now, our family was preparing to move overseas. Our house was sold, bags were being packed, and whatever we hadn’t sold or given away was going into storage. My wife was sitting in the rocking chair I had bought her when our son was born. Our son, now 12, came up to her, sat down in her lap, said “Maybe just one more time, mom” and they shared a hug.

That moment almost didn’t happen due to my “thriftiness”. Kim had been talking about wanting a rocker and I wanted to surprise her with one. I had seen this chair in a local antique store. It was a beautifully made, Shaker inspired design and as I looked at it, it seemed made for her. Everything about it was right. But it was $200. Today $200 might get you a grande specialty drink at your local coffee shop but back then I was a young teacher (my path to photography is a bit of a winding one best told in a different post) with a paycheck that stretched our creativity. Two hundred dollars was a significant chunk of change for us. It was very easy to justify why we couldn’t afford this chair. Fortunately someone-- I don’t remember who--gave me some wise counsel about value: we spent the money and continue to enjoy the rocker to this day. Every time I sit in it, I am reminded that there are things more important than a savings account. I have never regretted investments in memories, investments in joy and investments in quality. These are the things that become more valuable with time.

The challenge today then – invest in something that matters.

Have a great day!

Cheers,

Tris