“Success isn’t about 
money or fame. 
Success is living a life 
you feel proud of.” 
Jonathan Huie

My focus on gratitude was put to a test on Thursday afternoon. I found myself at a park in Cupertino with two of my grandkids. We chose the park based on its proximity to my granddaughter’s school. When we pulled into the parking lot at the park, I paused to look around the neighborhood. On two sides of the park were multi-million dollar homes. They were immense. They were gorgeous. The cars parked in the driveways of those homes were exactly what one would expect to see sitting in the driveways of such an expensive pieces of property. For a moment, a very brief moment, I felt the twinge of envy.

Wouldn’t it be nice to live in such a home? Wouldn’t it be nice to live in a secluded, upscale neighborhood where kids can walk home from school unaccompanied by a parent and then leave their home to spend an afternoon at the park without adult supervision? I felt as though I were on the set of a movie.

Despite the brief distraction, it didn’t take long for me to regain my senses. While there is a real possibility that the residents in those homes are happy and content, perhaps even grateful for all they have, I’m well aware that what happens inside the walls of homes of any price range are not always ideal. I’m also aware that the cost, in terms of time spent in the workplace and stress associated with one’s career, might also have been overwhelming.

Society, it seems, continues to judge one’s success by where people live, what type of car they drive, where they travel and how often, where they eat when they dine out, how they dress, the brand name on their wristwatch, and so many other inconsequential factors. This is why I chose to quote Jonathan Lockwood Huie today. He gets it!

If the owners or residents of those upscale Cupertino homes are living a life they are proud of, then yes, I consider them to be successful. I just wonder how many of them spend so much time at work, or carry so much daily stress, that they simply don’t have the time, energy, or ability to enjoy the incredible living situation they’ve bought into.

Teaching and serving in various pastoral ministry roles in the Church was something I enjoyed immensely, until I didn’t. It was something I felt called to do. The various roles I undertook allowed me to share my gifts and my passions with my students and others in the community. It’s unfortunate that the financial compensation for working in ministry pales in comparison to what people make today in the Silicon Valley high tech world. I would like to believe that teachers make as much of a difference in the world, if not more, than an engineer in any high tech firm. 

I knew, from the very beginning of my career, that I was entering a profession that would not make me financially wealthy. I’m not complaining about my compensation package at all. I am extraordinarily grateful for the simple home we own. I am thankful for the cars we drive and the various items we possess, even though most of those things were previously owned. Do people around me consider me to be successful? That’s not for me to decide, nor is it of any interest to me. Do I consider myself to be a success? Yes, I do, because I’m proud of my accomplishments and of the positive difference I’ve made in the lives of countless people.

A.M.D.G.