The Floating Seashell

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Read Time - 2 Minutes

It was a day that has gone down in infamy in my daughter’s life.  Our family was spending time at the beach and our five-year-old daughter spotted what looked like a large floating conch seashell.  She excitedly reached for it, only to realize too late that it was a bloated dead fish, drifting belly up with the sun glistening off its white underside.   As soon as she touched it and felt its soft cold flesh, she shrieked, turned, and scampered for me. 

The fish was not the seashell she thought it was, but she became wiser that day.  Scripture teaches us the importance of gaining wisdom: “The one who gets wisdom loves life; the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper” (Proverbs 19:8).  As parents, we all want our children to grow up to be sensible about life and to succeed in life. 

Part of gaining wisdom for life includes learning about money.  Proverbs 22:6 reads, “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”  This is where the pressure mounts on us as parents.  We can, and should, talk to our kids about money, but how we model handling our money is a stronger indicator of how our kids will someday handle their money.  Good management of money includes being careful with debt, having emergency savings, investing for the future, and being generous to others.

Our daughter now knows the difference between a floating fish carcass and a conch seashell (which does not float).  It was, however, a minor lesson in life.   There are many major lessons in life to learn, including the handling of money.   Let us, as parents, strive to serve as role models for our children (and perhaps grandchildren) so they can love life and prosper.

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Doug Hanson, MBA

Wealth Advisor

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