My firm has a contract with a local bank's trust department to do all their trust returns. It makes me wonder: what's it like to be a trust baby? To have all that money from birth without having to earn it? I get to see the things these trusts pay out, like $40,000 of college tuition, credit card bills, utilities, rent, fencing lessons, summer trips to Europe. I'm not even sure if I'm jealous, I just wonder what it's like. My dad was a farmer for most of the time I was growing up (he had to take on another job after my brother was born, because farming just wasn't pulling in enough money to support five). I don't remember being poor, but I remember not being able to have the things other girls had, like Esprit bags and Guess? jeans. I didn't even get an allowance. And right now, I'm in much better shape financially than my parents were even 15 years ago. 'Course, I don't have a family to support, either. But I still have a certain mindset that I generally don't spend money on unneccessary things or buy extravagant things. I spent $90 on a pair of shoes once, and the only reason I could justify it to myself was that they had incredible foot support and are probably going to last me twenty years.

I want to enjoy my money, because I have worked hard for where I am: I got straight-A's in school while working part-time and doing extra-curricular activities, and I put myself through college through scholarships and working at times three part-time jobs. I got a lot of help from my parents, of course, lending me money when I needed it, and providing me a car. But as much as I owe them, I did do a lot of it on my own, and I thank them for that, as well. They did a wonderful job raising me, helping me learn to be independent. I don't know how I got to be so blessed, having them for parents.