A Wealth of Information

As we celebrate St. Patrick's Day on the 17th and officially march into spring on the 25th of this month, most of us are looking forward to warmer temperatures; daylight savings time on 3/9 (hooray for more daylight!); as well as flowers blooming, greener grass, and budding leaves on the trees. On that note, check out this month's Parks Map feature on pages 20-21 to plan your family's time outside in nature. Our beautiful local parks have numerous amenities for everyone to enjoy.

However, there are a few things that many of us are less excited about such as the dreaded but necessary "pollening" and filing our taxes by next month's April 15 deadline. As we gather all the pertinent documents to turn over to accountants or plug the numbers into tax filing software ourselves, it's a good time to reflect on our financial situation and make any necessary adjustments.

But it's also important to remember that our finances are not the only type of wealth we should be considering. According to James Clear, author of the bestselling book Atomic Habits, "There are at least four types of wealth: 1. financial wealth (money) 2. social wealth (status) 3. time wealth (freedom) 4. physical wealth (health). And he goes on to caution, "Be wary of jobs that lure you in with 1 and 2 but rob you of 3 and 4."

So, be sure to make choices that also prioritize your time and well-being. No amount of money nor any social connections you may have can buy back time lost with those you love or time spent in poor health.

May you enjoy all four types of wealth — but especially sláinte mhaith (Irish for "good health") and the freedom to spend time with those you love. In honor of everyone's favorite green-wearing, luck-o'-the-Irish-having holiday, I'll leave you with this humorous toast from IrishRoadtrip.com:

"I drink to your health when I'm with you,
I drink to your health when I'm alone,
I drink to your health so often,
I'm starting to worry about my own!"

Cheers to a happy spring!