“They lost the gold, but they kept each other”. Sometimes, children can say the most amazing things at the most unexpected moment. My daughter suddenly spoke these words as we were watching a movie a lazy Sunday afternoon. She made me think.
I was watching the movie “The Road to El Dorado” by Dreamworks a Sunday afternoon together with my family. It is the story of two young Spanish men, friends and gamblers – who end up finding the mysterious city El Dorado, an Indian city filled with gold and treasures. The magnificent gold and the quest for richness were just about to rip their friendship apart. The story ends with a very dramatic escape from the unreachable city, in a ship filled with all kinds of treasures; the ship gets crushed in a tunnel of water. The two men and the Indian girl friend of one of them end up beaten but safe on a riverbank, while the ship and all the treasures are lost forever. From rags to riches – and back again, but still friends though, and one of them even with a future wife.
I have been thinking on her words all through the week. What matters in this life is not material luxury, what matters is family. My wife and my two children are the treasures of my life, and watching my children grow and develop makes me feel more than rich. Receiving a hug from one of my children, hearing them laugh, watching them smile; Such things truly make a man happy.
May the words of wisdom from my 6-year old angel follow me through this intense phase of life where a man is supposed to succeed in all areas at the same time: Excellent at work, excellent at home, 24 - 7. They may help me ensure that my priorities are right on a long-term level: “They lost the gold, but they kept each other”.
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