Don’t Judge Me Because I Grew Up Rich

When you grow up surrounded by wealth it is easy to assume everyone maintains an identical lifestyle. I did not realize until attending college that I grew up in one of the most privileged communities in my state. I used to believe that it was normal to spend my weekends at the country club, have a summer home as a getaway, my tuition paid for, and have my mom take me on shopping trips just because. These assumptions I considered to be facts because I did not know any better.

Neither of my parents came from wealthy families, instead directing their own path towards attaining a lifestyle most people dream about by working hard. When it came time to provide for my siblings and me, they decided to give us everything we needed and more. Yes, I get most things I wish to have, but that’s because I know what is in the limits of asking for. I was raised to appreciate all the privileges I was bestowed although it was not until a few years ago that I grasped how many blessings I actually had to be thankful for.

We might grow up in a world filled with Mercedes, doctors and lawyers for parents, ski trips, and expensive prom dresses, but that should not define us. It is easy to assume that children who come from money are spoiled, but please do not immediately conclude that. Not all of us are. If we are aware of all the privileges and opportunities we have that others may not, you cannot fault us for having them. The family you are born into is not by choice, but by chance, so stop making me feel guilty for the family and blessings I received.

Money does not make people happier or nicer, it does make things easier. It does not transform people, but instead makes them more into who they really are. With power and wealth a person is given the option to use their influence towards good or evil showing who they truly are. Without either of these things a person does not even have the opportunity to make this choice.

Every person has their own story. I have a friend who works three jobs to be able to attend college, while I have another friend who has a billionaire for a grandfather. Looking at these two friends, you could never be for certain which person had the successful grandfather. We mistakenly use the word “wealthy” to describe who a person is. It is only a word to depict all the assets a person acquires.

There is always going to be a person richer and poorer than you, it is time to get used to it.

Do not judge a book by its cover, but by what is on its pages.