Common wisdom says money and happiness are separate. But after meeting Ate Helga, I see it differently
I met Ate Helga at a charity event. She is a widow raising six children on her own by doing laundry for others and scavenging for recyclables. There are days when they have no food at all, surviving only on a single pot of rice cooked in the morning to last the entire day. On lucky days, someone might offer them a dish to go with it. Because of their extreme poverty, whenever she earns a little money, she always prioritizes buying rice above all else. Driven by pity and compassion, I didn't hesitate to hand her 1,000 pesos to help cover their other needs. All I could say was, 'Please accept this small amount I can offer. I hope we meet again so I can help you even more.' With tears in her eyes, she thanked me and said: YOU DON'T GIVE FROM EXCESS, YOU GIVE FROM EFFORT.
I could feel that the joy radiating from her was the exact same joy I felt in my own heart.
You can't buy happiness, but money can buy the things that make you happy.