The Abundance My Father Taught Me: From Humble Romanian Market Stalls to a Life of Generosity, Luxury, and Lasting Lessons

 

The Abundance My Father Taught Me

When I look at the platter of autumn fruit and nuts in front of me, I don’t just see grapes and walnuts, apples and figs. I see my father. I see the young boy who once stood in the Romanian markets, money in his small hands, smiling wide as he learned to weigh, count, arrange, and sell. I see the man who carried those lessons through his whole life and passed them on to me without ever needing to say, “This is what I’m teaching you.”

The Market Child

My dad grew up beside his own father at the market stalls. Grapes spilling from crates, apples shining in the autumn light, voices carrying across the crowd. He was loud even then, testing out his voice in the world, though I assume his father reminded him to be more restrained. He arranged the fruits and vegetables in an ordonat way — careful, orderly, already showing the Virgo ascendant in him.

I imagine him joyful but also steady, proud to help, and proud of his father’s work. He learned to recognize what was ripe and good, what was bad, how to be fair in exchange, and how to understand value.

Lessons from His Father

• Work hard, with consistency.
• Recognize quality.
• Treat people fairly but don’t let them cheat you.
• Negotiate with courage, even when it feels intimidating.

These weren’t just market skills — they were life skills.

Abundance as a Value

When I think about how he raised me, abundance is the first word that comes to mind. Just as his father brought home piles of watermelons, my dad wanted to bring us everything: good food, birthdays full of joy, generous gifts, a house filled with comfort, a life filled with travel, experience and formal education.

Even in years when money was tight, he and my mom made sure we never noticed. I only found out much later that there were struggles at all. For me as a child, everything felt normal, abundant, safe. And then, each time, we rose up again because of him — his persistence, his ability to create wealth, his refusal to give up.

His Rules for Living

1. Work hard.
2. Give plenty, receive plenty.
3. Find what is right for you through learning, even if it means digging through the dirt like planting a seed and watering the soil to grow a beautiful plant.
4. Love, and be loved.

He is a Leo at heart — radiant, bold — yet his roots run deep into the earth, steady, safe, nourishing.

The Way He Handles Exchange

My father’s relationship with money has always fascinated me. He gives with an open hand, yet he also knows how to hold onto value. He is both generous and careful. He knows the fair price of things, and he taught me how to negotiate.

On a trip abroad when I was very young, he encouraged me to face the fear of asking, to test myself in the small but important act of making a negotiation. That moment stayed with me. It wasn’t just about buying something/sales skills — it was about learning courage, fairness, and self-worth.

Lessons in Silence

Not all his lessons were spoken. Some of the most important ones came in silence. Looking into his eyes, I could always sense his warmth, even when he didn’t say the words out loud.

When I asked him how he made money, his answer was simple: “When I found a way, I didn’t stop until I made it.” That persistence is something I now carry into my own work — my blog, my creative projects, my business.

Creativity into Luxury

What amazes me is how he turned humble beginnings into a life of beauty. From markets and wooden crates, he moved into creating spaces of comfort, quality, and luxury. Every home I grew up in, every trip, every celebration, carried his love for things well-made and meaningful. He has an eye for quality, and he built a life that reflects it.

The Inheritance in Me

From him I inherited my loudness, my warmth, my leadership, my persistence. Also, my intolerance for lack of order or vision. He showed me that abundance is not about chance — it’s about vision, effort, and generosity.

Closing

The fruit platter sits on the table: colorful, abundant, arranged with care. To me, it’s more than just a seasonal still life. It’s a reflection of my father’s life — generous yet precise, earthy yet radiant, humble beginnings leading to a harvest full of abundance.

Everything I build now, in my own way, carries a piece of what he taught me: that persistence creates abundance, that silence can hold love, and that generosity is a legacy worth passing on.

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Fashion Notes on Abundance

If I were to translate my father’s legacy into fashion, it would look like a cosmic yet grounded figure: a woman in flowing white, touched with golden accents, standing against a soft indigo sky with stars and clouds. Around her, Romanian autumn fruits — grapes, plums, apples, pears, figs, walnuts — appear like jewels, woven into her presence. She carries the elegance of Leo’s radiance and the quiet precision of Virgo’s order.

It’s fashion not only as clothing, but as symbol: abundance worn as beauty, quality as adornment, generosity as style. ❤️

My Father's Notes: "Fruits are the elixir of health and prepare the body to get through winter well. These wonderful fruits are not only a symbol of abundance, but also a great source of health.”

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