Death and Taxes

I heard a guy share in a meeting that his mother used to always tell him the only things to worry about in life were death and taxes. His mother died on April 15th (Tax Day in the United States).

This year, we are paying more in taxes than what I earned in all of 1999, or any year prior to that. There’s two ways to look at that. I choose to look at in this light. We’ve done alright to even be in such a position, and we have made a significant investment in our country and state. What’s wrong with that?

I’ve never minded paying taxes. They exist for a reason, to help pay for the many services our state and federal governments provide for us. I value many of those services, so it doesn’t bother me to pay for them.

There are no free rides in this life. I’ll pay my way, and do it with a smile. Life is too short to fret over that which one has no control. Even though we paid a lot throughout the year, we still owe Uncle Sam a hefty sum, and the state of Virginia wants more, as well. Then there’s the property taxes.

The fact that this isn’t putting us into an impossible bind is another source for gratitude. We’re able to pay what we need to pay to square up our accounts, and still have some breathing room to live.

I used to hate, and dread, the weekend in which we did the taxes. I would hold my breath waiting to find out whether we owed, or they owed us, and pray to God we didn’t owe them too much. This year, I knew going in we’d owe them a bundle, and when Kathy gave me the preliminary figure, I didn’t even choke.

I’m choosing not to worry about taxes, and I’ll die when I die — so what’s to worry about? I’d rather live.