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In The Table Where Rich People Sit, a picture book by Byrd Baylor, a girl takes a look around her and sees that her family’s house is not what she thinks it should be. It dawns on her that her parents don’t realize how poor they really are, so she calls a family meeting. The family gathers around the table, and the girl points out that the very table at which they are sitting is in terrible condition. It is dilapidated and worn, because the family has gotten so much use from it. She tells her family that they are not sitting at a table where rich people should sit, and proceeds to instruct her parents to seek better jobs in order to earn more money.

Soon her mother takes out a piece of paper and begins to list the value of what they do have, and she assigns a monetary value to each item. Working outdoors is worth millions to them, being able to sing at the tops of their lungs is also worth a lot. They continue to list and give value to all of the riches that they do possess, and concludes that they are actually rich. The table at which they are sitting is indeed a table where rich people sit, because their lives are full of rich opportunities and love.

If you’ve ever worried that your family isn’t as rich as you think they should be, maybe taking a look at the book The Table Where Rich People Sit can help you see things differently. Not all that shines is gold!