My parents paid my way through undergraduate school. Before that I was never in great need for new clothes, school supplies, and occasional various “wants”–a transistor battery radio, a 22-single shot rifle, a bicycle and the like. When I went to college I “inherited” the old family car–a ‘50 Chevrolet.
By far the biggest gift materially from my parents was the habit of living within our means. This meant that we were materially content and had no active and persistent jealousy regarding the lives of others. Of course, there was also ample evidence of others less well off than us, and this served to augment the need to be content.
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