January has a way of slowing us down, even when everything else feels like it’s moving fast.
It’s a month that invites reflection—on time, on people we love, and on what truly lasts. This January, those reflections arrived from two very different directions. We said goodbye to a longtime client who lived a full 94 years, and we celebrated our oldest son turning 23, with (God willing) a long journey still ahead of him.
Somewhere between those two moments sits the real meaning of wealth.
Not the kind you see on statements. The kind you feel.
Smelling the Roses
There’s a familiar phrase—stop and smell the roses—that can sound cliché until you meet someone who truly lived it.
This was Rose.
Rose was born on August 25, 1931. I was born the following day—August 26, 1971. A full forty years apart, yet we shared something small and meaningful: back-to-back birthdays. Every August, we laughed about it. Another year for her, another year for me. Time mattered to Rose—not as something to race or resist, but something to appreciate.
According to her many stories over the years--she lived a vibrant life. A trained florist and artist, Rose brought beauty into the world quite literally—designing arrangements for Inaugural Balls, representing the United States abroad, and serving tirelessly through military, civic, and church communities. She traveled widely, welcomed everyone into her Cary home with food on the table, and never missed an opportunity for a good joke or a game of Scrabble with her granddaughters.
What often goes unnoticed is this: Rose lived that life with very modest spending.
She didn’t confuse fulfillment with consumption. She didn’t chase extravagance. And yet, at the end of her life, she left a meaningful legacy for the people and causes she loved.
Rose was wealthy in the way that truly matters.
(Photo: Rose celebrating her 92nd birthday with Glenwood partners Michael Hakerem and Rick McElroy, August 2023.)
The Wealth You Don't See
We often recommend Morgan Housel’s books and interviews: he often writes that wealth is what you don’t see. Spending is visible. Wealth is not.
True wealth shows up as flexibility, independence, dignity, and peace of mind. It shows up in the ability to live on your own terms, to weather uncertainty, and to give generously—quietly and without fanfare.
Rose embodied that idea long before it had a name.
She had margin—financially and emotionally. Margin to be generous. Margin to remain independent. Margin to age with grace. In her final days, she was surrounded by neighbors, friends, and family sharing stories, letters, laughter, and memories of a beautiful life and marriage.
That kind of ending doesn’t happen by accident.
It happens when money quietly supports life instead of trying to be the point of it.
A Beginning, Not An Ending
Just days after attending Rose’s Celebration of Life, our family gathered to celebrate our oldest son, Chase, turning 23.
Twenty-three is pure potential. Time is abundant. The most valuable asset at that stage of life isn’t money—it’s years.
Chase has read all of Morgan Housel’s books, and we’ve spent many conversations as a family talking about what wealth actually means. Not just how to earn it, but how to live with it. The lesson we keep coming back to is simple: money is a tool. Its highest purpose is to support a life of meaning, freedom, responsibility, and character—not to become the scorecard.
At 23, the most important decisions aren’t about optimization. They’re about habits, patience, humility, and values. Those compound far more powerfully than returns ever will.
(Photo: Hakerem family celebrating Chase’s 23rd birthday, January 2026.)
The Space In Between
“When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost.” Billy Graham
As a wealth advisor—and as someone born squarely between Rose and Chase—I’m acutely aware that much of life happens in the middle.
Between accumulation and distribution. Between independence and legacy. Between the start of a life and its graceful conclusion.
At Glenwood, we’ve always believed that wealth management isn’t just about money. It includes values, traditions, knowledge, memories, and the ability to live well at every stage of life.
Rose’s story reminds us what’s possible when wants remain modest and purpose stays clear: she cherished hugs, kisses, and laughs. Chase’s birthday reminds us how powerful time can be when guided by the right principles: he cherishes hard work as he works toward his Master’s degree and CPA designation but also takes the time to enjoy family and friends.
Different chapters. Same truth. Did your character impact others in a positive way?
A Quiet Definition of Success
A well-lived life rarely looks impressive in the moment. It often looks steady. Disciplined. Perhaps unremarkable on the surface.
But over decades, those choices reveal themselves in freedom, generosity, and peace.
Rose showed us what that looks like at 94. We hope our son passes those lessons forward at 23.
If we do our job well, wealth becomes something that supports life quietly in the background—allowing people to stop, reflect, and yes…smell the roses along the way.