Getting Ahead?

It surprised me a while back when someone commented about me basically being a stay at home mum and asked me "don't you want to get ahead?"
"Ahead of what?" I asked, "the Jones'?"
'No" they replied, "but you know, pay your mortgage off sooner, update that old car, get some new clothes, maybe even go on a holiday"  I was a little taken aback, but my reply:  I'd love to be mortgage free sooner and to have a newer car and it would be nice to be able to afford more new things, but those things aren't as important to me as being home to send my kids off to school in the morning, being home when they get home, going to their sports (practice and games), going on school trips and camp with them, being home for them during the holidays or when they are sick, being able to be so very involved in their schools and basically just enjoying a more simple lifestyle.

So, I stay at home and do part time work when I can and loads of charity work and yes income is up and down and sometimes we struggle and we have played 'how low can you go' with the food in our pantry/fridge more than once in the past year, but I can tell you (from working in a high paying corporate role for 18 months once Taryn was 11 months old), that money isn't everything.  I missed so many of her 'firsts' it nearly broke my heart.  I know that sometimes families have no other option and we've come close to having to find additional work ourselves and if it came down to me having to get a full time job, then that's what we would do, but whilst we can continue to manage and reap the benefits for our children we will.

I know that pretty soon, they will be off to University, or even off on their OE's and even sooner than that, they might not want to be spending that much time with us - or want me on their school trips and when that time comes, I will not look back with regret on all the time I didn't or couldn't spend with them simply because I wanted to 'get ahead'.  Instead I will savour those memories and be thankful that I made the financial sacrifices to have the lifestyle we enjoy so much right now.

Time for getting ahead will come for us soon enough and if that is currently your main goal in life, then I'm happy you are achieving your goals, but please don't judge me because my goals are different to yours.