The Day Memories Would Be Valued Over Money - By Saishriya Satapathy

Written By: Saishriya Satapathy

Category: Essay

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

In a thought-provoking essay titled "The Day Memories Would Be Valued Over Money," Saishriya Satapathy explores the intrinsic worth of memories versus material wealth. Submitted to the prestigious Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, this essay delves into the life lessons often overlooked in our pursuit of financial success. Saishriya's reflections invite readers to consider the intangible riches held within our experiences and relationships.

About the Work

Saishriya Satapathy's essay examines the contrast between tangible wealth and the intangible value of memories. Through rich imagery and poignant reflections, the piece emphasizes how moments shared with loved ones and personal experiences form a "Memory Bank" that often goes unnoticed. The narrative encourages a shift in perspective, valuing life’s unforgettable moments over material gains.

The Day Memories Would Be Valued Over Money

Original Submission by Saishriya Satapathy

The Day Memories Would Be Valued Over Money

There is something every human being is born with – two bank accounts.

One you can see clearly as you go about your daily business – the one made up of salaries paid in, deposits, investments and your personal belongings. Society teaches you from young how to build this account. It teaches you to study harder to get a good job, so you earn more money and invest your income wisely.

The other account is less obvious.

There is no cash in it, no coins or paper – it has no teller or automated deposit machine. Nevertheless, you make a deposit or withdrawal from it every single day. Every bedtime story your mother tells you, every laughter-filled evening with friends, every dinner with your family, every failure that made you stronger, every kind gesture – all of these are deposits in your Memory Bank. You do not realize when you make the deposits in your memory bank. They occur as you experience things and think about them, especially as you watch the sunset.

The sad fact is that many of us devote our lives to protecting what we have in our first bank account – ignoring the second one.

We live in an age of material values. From a young age, we learn that our grades determine our level of intelligence, the amount of money we earn determines how successful we are, how many people follow us on social media determines how popular we are, and even what brand of watches we wear determines our status. In this world, we are encouraged to accumulate as much as we can – more money, higher popularity, better branded goods, and so on. However, in this endless race, we fail to realize that we are losing something incredibly valuable to us – our moments.

A child will never remember how expensive the family car was. Nevertheless, he will remember who was in the car with him. Years later, no one will remember how much that birthday cake cost. However, people will forever cherish the faces of those who celebrated it with them. A graduate student will hardly remember how much he paid for his books. Still, he will never forget the teacher who encouraged him when he was struggling with confidence. That is because memories are the most essential things in life.

Money may be necessary to make our lives better. It can buy you an education, give you access to the best healthcare, protect you, and allow you to achieve your dreams. It would be foolish not to make enough money to enjoy life. However, the problem begins when money becomes an end in itself. Many parents strive to earn more to give their children a better future. This is not wrong since every parent has that natural desire to give their child the best in life. However, in their desire to make more money, some fail to invest enough time in raising their children, missing out on meaningful moments in their children’s lives. Decades later, when the child grows up and the parent begins to realize that he knows little about his child, it is too late to change that reality. This happens in various relationships.

Friends meet but hardly talk to each other, constantly looking at their phones. Tourists visit incredible places but only look at them through a phone screen. Students prepare for their future but fail to enjoy their present. We have become masters of recording life but are complete novices when it comes to living it. Our technology keeps growing by the day, offering us endless storage space for videos, photos, messages, and more. However, nothing can replace the feeling of a moment in which we were intensely happy or deeply sad. Nothing can replace being there in person to witness something incredible happen. A photo of a smiling face will never make you as happy as seeing the smile in real life. A video of a party can never make someone feel as good as they felt when they were at the party.

Perhaps that is why older people always seem wiser. When you visit them, you realize that all they talk about are memories. They reminisce about childhood days, first friendships, holidays, letters they wrote and received, and evenings spent together with their parents or spouses. Their most precious possessions are locked inside their memories.

Maybe that is the ultimate lesson of life.

You realize too late that you invested too much time and effort in making money but do not remember your mother’s voice well enough to hear her say goodbye as you leave for college. You regret not being there when your friend needed you most or missing the chance to run after the butterflies in your childhood garden. You wish you had spent more time listening to your father’s stories rather than watching TV. Perhaps if people realized this earlier in life, they would be wiser about where to invest their time and effort.

After all, the richest people are those who have built lives worth remembering. That is probably why history remembers people for their impact on humanity rather than their wealth. Even the most successful people are famous for being generous to the point of being annoying. Their legacies live in the light they shine on humanity from being successful in their fields of expertise and making a difference in their spheres of influence.

When you grow old, the conversations you have with your children and peers change. You begin to share more about your past life – the good old days. You begin to value life moments – good and bad. The more elderly someone is, the more deposits there are in their memory bank – and the more they value those moments.

Maybe that is why we see older people doing more foolish things as they try to enjoy their remaining years. They take more trips, go clubbing more often, and generally do things they used to do when they were young. They realize that once their time on earth is over, nothing they do will matter anymore. They want to enjoy every bit of life before it is too late.

Perhaps you can say that, eventually, all people have to face the fact that the deposits in their memory bank will outweigh all the money they have made in life. You see, at the end of the day, your bank accounts will be emptied, your belongings will be sold, and your achievements will be forgotten. However, your memories will remain with you as evidence that you had a meaningful life.

Who knows if the secret purpose of our life here on earth is not to become millionaires but to enrich our memory banks. Perhaps we are memory-millionaires instead.

By:- Saishriya Satapathy

About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 by Hashtag Kalakar is a celebration of literary talent from around the world. This esteemed competition provides a platform for writers to showcase their creativity and share diverse narratives, fostering a global community of literary enthusiasts.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Saishriya Satapathy for her insightful contribution, "The Day Memories Would Be Valued Over Money," to the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. Her essay serves as a poignant reminder of the enduring value of memories, encouraging us all to cherish the moments that truly matter.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.