March 5, 2022

 Well, I am all scheduled for the port in my chest that will deliver chemo and when chemo will start.  It is Mar7 and Mar15 respectfully.  I am wanting to get started and terrified all at the same time.  I am such a control freak that the unknown of whether the treatment will work is scary.  I suppose I should approach this like an aspirin.  I expect the aspirin to work, I expect the chemo to work.

I don't know if the girls will ever read this, but I did want to talk to them about money a bit.  We've always just given you what you most of what you wanted (and everything you needed).  I am not sure that this was the right thing to do, but we (your mother and I) wanted to give you all the things we didn't have growing up.  However, I fear you don't understand the value of money, none of us do until we hit the rough spots.

With that said, don't take on too much debt.  Just because you think you can make the payment there are always hidden costs.  With cars, it is insurance, maintenance, emergencies, etc...  Pretty much the same with a house, and on and on.  You need to save, max out your 401k, start a Roth IRA, etc...  I am not going to tell you that you have to go work like I did, rather do something you love, but live within your means.  Save for trips and large purchases. Sometimes you find when you saved that money and you go to purchase the thing you thought you wanted the work it took to save the money is more value than the item you thought you wanted and you walk away.  Control those impulses, your time has amazing value, I've learned that lesson now, and I fear it will be the hard way.

I guess my point with the money is that you need to make sure all your needs are met, food, clothing, shelter.  After that, make sure you are saving and giving yourself a buffer.  You'd be amazed at how fast life comes and it generally has a cost.

It is strange as I see you two girls as little kids.  I always wondered how parents could take care of their children financially into their adulthood.  Now that I have you two adult children, I still see you as my little girls, and can't see thinking any other way.  So as long as I am working, I am probably going to take care of you.

Well, my 15 minutes is up.

I love you all