When my daughter told me about the girl in her class who bragged nonstop about money, I could see the mixture of confusion and annoyance on her face. Kids don’t always understand the weight of material things, but they recognize arrogance when they hear it. She said the girl claimed to have more, to be better, to live a life sparkling with wealth — as if numbers in a bank account could measure a person’s worth. For a moment, I worried those words might make her feel small, like what we had wasn’t enough.

Then she told me her reply: “It’s good, because I’m already rich in love and friends — and those don’t run out.” I nearly melted. She didn’t need me to teach her the difference between being wealthy and being fulfilled; she already knew. In that moment, I realized the values we planted had grown quietly and beautifully. We may not have the biggest house or the fanciest vacations, but we’re raising a child who understands true abundance — and that makes us richer than anything money could buy.