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Marjorie Gottlieb Wolfe
Syosset, New York
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Here are a few Yiddish words about money:
"der gvir"/"der nogid"
(rich man)
"dos ashires"
(the riches)
"gelt"
(money)
And there are so many Yiddish expressions/ proverbs about money:
"The miser pays double in the end."
"Gelt gait tsu gelt."
(Money goes to money.)
"aroysgevorfeneh gelt"
(money thrown out; wasted)
"knippel"
(money tied in the corner of a handkerchief)
"Der oreman tracht, der nogid lacht"
(The poor think, the rich laugh.)
"Gelt fiert di gantseh velt!"
(Money rules the world!)
"Gelt tsu fardinen iz gringer vi tsu halten."
(It's easier to earn money than to keep it.)
On July 10, 2010, Ron Lieber wrote a "vunderlekh" (wonderful) article in The New York Times titled, "Daddy, Are We Rich? and Other Toughies."
Yes, the inquisitve "kind" (child) "makes you
realize just how complicated the topic of
money is," says Lieber. Some want to know
how much money you make. Others ask,
"Are we rich?" "Are we going to Martha's
Vineyard again this 'zumer' (summer)?"
"Can I go to sleepaway camp for 2 months?"
As Lieber wrote, a Montclair, NJ, father discussed visiting the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, NY, but it was so "tayer" (expensive). The child asked a lot less about going to Mohonk after they graphed it on paper.
FYI: A two-day stay at Mohonk (Aug. 30 and 31, 2010) in the Victorian Style, for 2 adults and 2 teenage children would cost $2,300, including tax and gratituities.
Another person mentioned in the article spoke about the time his son asked, "Why do we live in two homes when so many live in none?" (He was referring to the homeless.) That's a good question.
The Yiddish word meaning "to delay" is "farhaltn." Sometimes we must teach our children the importance of delayed gratification. "We can't get a plasma TV right now, but we'll see about getting one for Hanukkah."
My favorite story about the Haves and Have Nots was told by Jaye Lewis, an award winning inspirational author who writes from a unique perspective, celebrating the miracles in the day to day. Jaye is a frequent contributor to Chicken Soup for the Soul, Guidepost books, God Allows U-Turns, and numerous other anthologies throughout the world. She also freelances both on the web and in print. Jaye lives with her famly in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia. Visit Jaye's website at www.entertainingangels. com.
Here's her article, titled "Being Rich":
We prowled through the second hand bookstore, the day after Christmas, just my husband, Louie, our daughters, Jenny and Helen, and me. This was a precious time for us, because we would be splitting up as a famly, again, in just a couple of days.
It had been a tough eight months since my husband had retired from the Navy. As plotters and planners, we had manipulated the "military system," while on active duty, as much as we could, trying to prevent a long, dreaded absence from one another. Now, here we were, retired, and were eight months into our longest separation.
When my husband retired, we discovered that the only job available for him was in the city of Norfolk, Virginia. Our dream was to live out the rest of our lives in the mountains of southwestern Virginia, six and a half hours away. My health had gotten so bad, that it was impossible for me to stay with Louie in the city. We had settled for a separation, praying that a job would become available in the beautiful region that we love.
So, there we were, delaying the inevitable, passing time in a second hand bookstore, before the girls and I headed back to southwest Virginia. We were as broke as we'd ever been, supporting two households; yet we were grateful to be together, and we seized every opportunity for extra hugs, shared daydreams and laughter.
There was only one other person in the bookstore, besides the proprietor, a lovely, well-dressed woman, about my age. I noticed her clothes, her shoes, and her expensive handbag, and I wondered what it would be like to be rich enough to walk into a bookstore and have the money to buy any book my heart desired. We joked as we continued our treasure hunt, clutching our spending money of five dollars apiece, all hoping to be the first to find the oldest, least expensive book. It was a bittersweet excursion.
Frequently Louie and I would brush past one another, finding excuses to touch or to give one another's hand an extra squeeze.
Jenny remembered, that there was an ATM machine, not far from the bookstore, and she decided that she needed another twenty dollars that she had squirreled away.
"No fair!" I cried, laughing. "The rest of us can only spend five dollars, and here you're going to have twenty-five dollars?!"
We all laughed, and we began to tease Jenny, mercilessly, but she was able to convince her Dad that she must have the $20, in order to get that irresistible book.
"Come on, Jenny," Louie laughed, "I'll drive you to the ATM."
Then we did another round of hugging and kissing, none of us wanting to be apart for even a few minutes.
Soon Louie and I would be saying "good-bye." We couldn't resist the opportunity to assure one another of our love, and our faith that our separation would soon come to an end. It must have been a curious ballet, this demonstrative family scene, but we were oblivious to what others might think.
Military families seem to fall into two categories: those who look for affectionate opportunities, and those who avoid close contact, because "good-byes" are painful. I have to admit that we're a pretty "huggy- kissy" family, so unmindful of anyone else, we continued to give kisses and hugs all around. In our military career, we had become painfully aware, that anything can happy during even the briefest separation. But now, as I look back, I realize how odd we must have looked.
Finally, in between another hug and kiss, I saw the perfect book for me! It was one hundred years old, and it was on my favorite time period, the Middle Ages. Oh, how I wanted that book! I quickly checked the inside cover for the price, and my heart fell. It was twenty-five dollars! We just didn't have it. I looked up at Louie, already knowing the answer.
He must have wanted me to have that book. I could see the pain in his eyes. Louis reached out and gave me an extra hug. I understood his "honey, we just can't afford it" message. I leaned into his sheltering arms, and I saw that the well-dressed lady was also touching the book that I wanted. Ah well, let her have it. I gave Louie an extra hug, and half serious, I murmured, as my eyes locked with her, "Oooohh, I wish I were rich!"
"It looks to me, as though you already are," events were already in motion to unite our family.
I am quite certain that it was all part of
God's plan, to remind me of what being
"rich" is all about: faith, love, family, and
friends. and when I get to heaven, I will not
be at all surprised to discover that God sent
an angel to a second hand bookstore in
Norfolk, Virginia, to give me his richest
message, the day after Christmas many
years ago.
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Marjorie Wolfe thanks Jaye Lewis for
her permission to share the above-shown
story.
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