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*As a child growing up in a single-parent household, money was like a good sweet-potato pie; there always was a line of people waiting to get their piece. So, it disappeared fast.
So when I read articles like a recent one in USA Today that question whether wealthy people should leave their children a monetary inheritance or give it all to charity, I can only conclude that they have more money than they have common sense. Why else would a person who spent so much time and effort creating a legacy big enough to provide for generations to come contemplate giving it away?
Whenever money was discussed in our house, my mother always would remind me “our name is Rivers – not Rockefeller,” referring to the wealthy Rockefeller family. So life experience and common sense tell me that when I finally achieve my goal of creating an inheritance for my children’s children I won’t be giving it away. That thing about the journey being the most important part is like driving seven hours through the snow to grandmother’s house for Thanksgiving only to realize she fixed your favorite dishes, including sweet potato pie, but gave it all away for another family to enjoy. The trip has more meaning when you get to savor the spoils.
Instead, I suggest those fortunate enough to pass on a legacy of a family business or the prestige of a recognized family name should spend just as much time preparing their children to build on that foundation and to meet expectations they surely will face in their position. That way a family living in the state of abundance will have that much more money to give some, not all of it, away.
Millions of people come up short every month when it comes to money for the necessities. So, I’m all for helping people who are less fortunate. But God Bless the child that’s got his own, unless it came by ill-gotten means. We’ll talk about that next week in part 2.
Just know that if it comes down to you and me in a room with one piece of my grandmother’s sweet potato pie, you could find yourself feeling like the middle of a doughnut – left out.
Steffanie Rivers is a free-lance journalist in the Washington, DC metro area. You can send her feedback at teamtcbadvertising@hotmail.com