The privilege of work
I worked through the holidays this year.
I didn’t do it because I was forced to. Or because I was out of vacation time. Or because a big deadline loomed.
No, I did it because I wanted to. And I was inspired to write this piece on my drive into the office through quiet streets, savouring the slower pace of the liminal period between Christmas and the new year.
In my writing this past year I’ve hinted at the very difficult year I’ve observed others going through. What so many of these people wouldn’t do for the chance to get up in the morning, get dressed, and commute into work.
Instead, they drove spouses or children to chemo appointments.
Spent weeks recovering from surgeries.
Made funeral arrangements and administered a loved one’s estate.
Or didn’t make it through the year at all.
My ability to put on a suit, drive to work, and to sit down in front of my computer with a warm cup of coffee is a special privilege I too often take for granted. On this day, I don’t. And as we turn the page on a new year, it’s something I will try to remember more often.
It just might be that the privilege of work is the best form of wealth there is. Compare it to a lump sum of cash that comes with the stress of ongoing management, obligations to others, and often leaves owners with a sense of aimlessness that permeates their daily lives. I’m convinced that the curse of the lottery winner is a real thing.
To do meaningful work that improves the lives of others. To be part of a team that both supports and elevates your own work. And to earn a living from that labour. I can’t think of anything more valuable than the opportunity to do just that.
The problem, though, is that this type of wealth rests on a knife edge. It presupposes we live in a peaceful and ordered society. It demands that we are able to secure a job we enjoy. And critically, it depends on our own health, and that of our closest family.
All things considered, it’s a precarious balance. Let’s all remember to appreciate it for what it is. And if you’re not there now, I hope you find that balance again soon.
Wishing a peaceful and healthy 2026 to you all.
Appreciate this perpective on work as privilege. The lottery curse point is underrated because most people focus on the money itself rather than the loss of structure and purpose that comes with it. Had a family member who went through something similar last year, and it really put into focus how fragile that balance is betwen health and the ability to show up each day. The knife edge metaphor is spot on because there's almost no buffer between "normal" and crisis mode for alot of people.