What do Warren Buffett and Jackie Chan have in common?
Aside from their padded pockets from years of success and fame, they both have voiced publicly that they will not be leaving their fortunes to their children. Harsh? Or smart?
They aren’t the only ones that have said something similar in nature. Others such as the musician Sting and his wife have also emphasized wanting their children to “make their own way.”
Buffett, who happens to be one world’s richest men, told Fortune magazine that “a very rich person should leave his kids enough to do anything but not enough to do nothing.” Wow – what a statement.
On the flip side, I was listening to a church talk recently where the speaker recalled his time as a financial consultant in Houston. Most of his work was with multimillionaires who owned their own businesses. He said almost all of them had created their successful businesses from nothing and lots of hard work. The speaker went on to say that the saddest thing to him was to hear them say that they wanted to make it easier for their children. They did not want their children to suffer as they had. In other words, they would deprive their children of the very thing that had made them successful, he said.
I almost feel a little silly writing this editorial, as I am pretty early on in my own parenting journey and my parents are both still earthside. However, I have watched and listened to my parents and my in-laws as they have dealt with their deceased parents’ estates. It seems – even with proper planning – there are always unanticipated emotions that surface. And what is “fair” to one isn’t always “fair” to another.
We all understand that to build muscle, we have to go through a process of stress, breakdown and recovery. When you lift weights or do physical work, the muscle fibers experience tiny tears and, with proper rest and nourishment, the body repairs those fibers stronger and thicker than before. Hard work in life follows the same pattern. Challenges and responsibilities can feel heavy, even overwhelming, yet it’s in the struggle that growth happens.
As I’ve watched family members navigate this season of life, I’m reminded that the greatest gift we can pass on isn’t wealth but rather the resilience, grit and values no dollar amount can replace. What a blessing it is to work in agriculture, where these skills are taught. I hope I can remember that a little hardship isn’t always bad, not only for my own self but for my family as they grow.
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