Are You Content With Your Riches?
A Chance To Win the HGTV Dream Home
Did you enter the 2011 Home and Garden TV (HGTV) Dream Home contest this past winter?
They gave away a two million dollar package including a million plus dollar fully furnished home in Stowe, Vermont; 500,000 in cash; and a new 2011 GMC Acadia Denali.
I wanted that house, that money and that car.
Stowe, VT is an upper crust gated community in the ski resort area of Mt Mansfield, Vermont’s highest peak. It has ski trails, walking trails, biking, historic buildings in a quaint old town, summer fun and winter activities. The house was a modern ski lodge with one bedroom set up to handle 14 people. The interior was furnished with luxurious furniture and accouterments, including lots of local arts and crafts.
Thinking About Winning
After seeing the tour they had on it following the New Years Day Tournament of Roses, I entered the contest each day, twice a day.
As I walked our woods here in the mid-west, I dreamed of having that huge, expensive house in that part of the country I haven’t ever visited. I thought about the furnishings and the local art.
As the months wore on, it slowly dawned on me that if I won the house, it wouldn’t make financial sense to keep it. I checked the taxes (high!!), estimated the utility bills (high), thought about the expense of getting there with our family each time we wanted to enjoy it (high), and tried to believe that renting it out as a vacation home would cover all those expenses (unlikely).
Becoming Content With My Own Brand of Riches
As I continued to enter the sweepstakes, and walk our woods, I came to realize that I already had most of the features it offered, right here at home. Our house in the woods is comfortable (and paid for!). I have a private trail system – maintained by hubby, where I can walk in wonderful solitude. We have local art and art from our past trips to the nation’s national parks and historic sites hung throughout our home. We have our own historic town by the river, with parks and historic shopping areas to frequent.
There was an option for the winner to take the money, and if we won, it would of course add to our riches – but we didn’t need it.
When someone else won that HGTV Dream Home sweepstakes – I was happy for them.
I am content with the riches we have, we don’t need more – we need to enjoy this spot and this time in our lives.
Which of your riches make you content?
