Later that week, I looked it up online. My jaw dropped. The bag cost more than an entire semester of my tuition. I stared at the screen, half laughing, half panicking, realizing I’d spent the evening carrying something worth more than everything I owned.
The next morning, I returned it to her like it was made of glass. I confessed I hadn’t known its value. She just shrugged and said,
That response stuck with me. To her, it was casual, replaceable, barely worth a second thought. To me, it was unimaginable luxury. Same object, two completely different worlds of meaning.
That moment taught me something I’ve carried ever since: value isn’t about cost—it’s about context. What feels ordinary to one person can feel extraordinary to another. And real wealth isn’t measured in handbags, tuition, or status. It’s found in gratitude, humility, and the awareness that what we take for granted might be someone else’s dream.
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