December 13, 2022

What do I leave for my children?

In many conversations with close family members, relatives and among friends … there were numerous times that people asked me … eh, what do you want to leave for your children?

I think this is a very common question … especially for Asians and particularly for the Chinese.

Traditionally, Chinese are very concerned about what they can leave for their children. I can say that a lot of hard working Chinese parents would like to make sure that their children would not have to work so hard like they did … so, if they can, they will want to leave a fortune for their children.

In the younger days … we were told 孩子多努力一点, 父母就会好一点 (haizi duo nuli yidian, fumu jiu hui hao yidian) ... and that was on my mind when I was old enough to work.

Like me, many worked hard to help ease the financial burdens of our parents … help put food on the table, roof over the head and make sure that the needs of our younger siblings are taken care of.

But today it is more like 父母多留一点, 孩子就会好一点 (fumu duoliu yidian, haizi jiu hui hao yidian) … really, I believe many parents (though they may not admit it) do feel that it will be better for their children if they can leave some wealth for their children.

Now back to the question … how about me and what do I want to leave for my children?

OK, let me put it like this … I don’t have a lot … for now I still have some properties, some savings and small investments. By law, whatever I still have left (IF there is anything left) when I leave this world … they will go to my children.

NEVER have I ever thought of what I am going to leave for my children. I give them what they need to help them as they grow, as they progress and as they move into their own independent world.

It has NEVER crossed my mind what I am going to leave for my children.

The question that is ALWAYS on my mind is … what children will I leave for this society and this world? That, is what I am really concerned about.

There is a Chinese saying that goes like this :-

不要你会留下什么给你的孩子 你会留下什么孩子给这个社会和这个世界

Translation : Ask not what you will leave for your children ... ask what children you will leave for society and the world.



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