Freshly picked, my youngest demanded to be held. She’d just finished a few hours of finger painting, picture book reading, rug time singing, snack devouring, preschool heaven. And I just finished being in heaven, elsewhere.

Through the heavy glass doors of the church, the heat came at us like a dog out of its cage. Intensely. But still less so than the meltdown my dear toddler would have if I forced her to walk. Often she has to deal with these kinds of injustices but when it’s just her and me, so close to another couple hours of naptime freedom, I oblige.

As we approached our car I saw a new, pearl white SUV stop perfectly between the lines in the next space. Leather. Limited. License plates that wore the pride of a Disable Veteran.

Luxury comes with silver linings, I thought. The kind after you fight for your country, or on your head, or after many years of work and service and life. Yes, please take the handicapped section. All of it if you like. You, have, earned it.

But luxury doesn’t always come with age. It is not a guarantee. I think of this as I turn the pages of my husband’s copy of his late grandfather’s book. I think of Grandma, still with us, happily driving her old Subaru. She was giddy when they bought that thing all those years ago, and I wonder if she’ll ride it up to Glory someday. For now it sits before her small home, with her old decorations, when she isn’t gallivanting to seniors groups.

I love the seasoned of our society. And I love her.

The beautiful sun spots on her arms shadow the tireless work beside her beloved at their ranch. A ranch they devoted to sharing with other people. The gray that touches her neck came from raising four riotous boys and one sweet girl whom I assume was worried over just a much.
She is not fancy, she does not flaunt, and if you asked her to pick the one thing in her house of the greatest value, she’d most assuredly point to the wall-sized (I am not even joking, it’s gigantic) family portrait in her living room.

And it makes me think, she’s the one that is truly rich.