from my mother

"It may not seem like it, but we really have cut back our spending this year."

"We still make our end-of-the-year donations [to causes and organizations] but we haven't done much else this year."

(Note: my father's been out of work for 8 months, and no job in sight)

Our dinner:
- grilled shrimp, marinated in lime and cilantro and chiles (mom)
- salmon, cedar smoked in the bbq (dad)
- fresh pasta with garlic scape pesto (me)
- salad: figs, avocado and tomato, with a balsamic vinegar so reduced it was like syrup (me)

We sure as hell don't eat like we're cutting back on anything. But damn are we a fine bunch of cooks.

I still persistently see my parents as Incredibly Wealthy. They try to tell me this isn't true. But they are, in comparison to my friends. I have a few friends whose parents seem as wealthy as mine, but almost none whose parents (seem to) have more.

And yet, I wonder: in my determination to own and recognize my privilege, do I exaggerate? Obviously, class privilege isn't always or completely tied to a number with a dollar sign attached to it - it's about all the other things like behaviors and customs and lessons too - but I wonder.