All so sad, and so true. My sister stopped working to care for our elderly parents. They also have paid caregivers, who make SO much less per hour than they deserve but are still super expensive for us. I've been an editor and writer for most of my career, so I've never made much money, with the exception of a stint in tech (I'm in the SF Bay Area) that I knew would be a temporary anomaly for me. (It ended up lasting 14 years, which is what made it possible for me to go back to earning less so I could do work more aligned with my abilities and values.) It constantly bugs me that even within my social circle, there's so much income disparity based simply on what our society has decided we value, not what is really valuable or how hard people work. Thanks for highlighting this important issue. Always love your articles!