Terry's Financial Wisdom

Terry and I did not grow up with money. That is not a dramatic statement. It is just a fact, like weather or gravity. We were both raised by single mothers from a very young age, and money was never part of the scenery. What we did have was motion. We moved. We adapted. We learned early that work was not optional.

We are ten years apart, which should have mattered more than it did. Somehow, we met in the middle. We both started working as teenagers and learned quickly that a paycheck is not a promise. It is a trade. Terry tried many jobs. I stayed with the kind that paid steadily and quietly. Different paths. Same understanding.

Despite having very little, Terry was generous in a way that still makes me smile. Not careful generosity. Not strategic generosity. Just generosity. The kind that shows up without checking the balance first. Even when he lived on disability checks, he once took on credit card debt to help someone stranded with car trouble. Sensible? No. Kind? Completely.

Terry also had strong opinions about rich people. Very strong opinions. If someone wealthy appeared on television, especially while talking about success, Terry would yell at the screen, "You should give your money to charities." This was not a suggestion. This was financial advice.

Sometimes, the news would mention how many children go to bed hungry, or how many students make it through the school day without a meal. Terry would grab a piece of paper, sit down, and start doing the math. He calculated how many kids certain celebrities could feed. For how many years. With what was left over. He was thorough. He was serious. He was absolutely convinced he was right.

With the little money we had, giving always came first. Not because it was easy, but because it felt necessary. Giving was not about saving the world. It was about showing up for it.

Terry was not a financial advisor in the traditional sense. He did not talk about portfolios or long-term growth. He talked about people. He talked about responsibility. He talked about what money is for.

So what should you do with your money?

Ask Terry, quietly. You may just get the right answer.