Success or Responsibility?
I don’t view owning my own home at twenty-nine years old as an achievement. I see it as a responsibility.
One of my daughters is buying her own home. That is a good thing.
My younger daughter didn’t think I was enthusiastic enough as she was over-excited for her bigger sister. She wanted to plan an elaborate party to celebrate her sister’s accomplishment. She kept questioning me, wondering why wasn’t I shouting from the rooftop.
I said to her, “I signed my sale agreement for my own home at 29 years old.”
Shock held her in place for a brief moment, “Wow, mom!” she exclaimed. “I didn’t know that. Congratulations. That is great.”
I thanked her.
Days later, she questioned, “Mom, as a person of color and growing up in a developing country. You don’t believe that your success is worth celebrating?”
I nodded, “it wasn’t a big deal to me.”
While in a discussion, she learned, even though I was the fourth child, I was the first to be a homeowner. The icing on the cake for her was that none of my parents were homeowners either. More icing was that it took her father and me seven years to pay off the mortgage.
The effect hasn’t hit me yet, simply because I don’t view owning my own home at twenty-nine years old as an achievement. I see it as a responsibility. All of what I have achieved isn’t a success for me. I owe life. Life doesn’t owe me. So, everything I have done to improve my life is my responsibility. Then again, I am weird.
Is your achievement success or a responsibility?
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