The wonders of worth

What do people mean when they tell someone else "you are worth it"? Have they been successful in attaching a quantifiable scale to determining how much is worth and how much is unworth? Conversely, if the scale were a qualitative one, surely there must be a measurable attribute to facilitate the process of introspection.What is the quantity behind the quality?

Just when I was deep in thought about the mysterious word, my mum appeared in my room. She was holding a bag in her hand, a new bargain from a sale she chanced upon in the afternoon. Dangling her proud achievement in the air, she asked me with a tinge of self-happiness showing in the corner of her mouth, "is this worth it?"

I answered without second thoughts. "Of course, it's only five dollars. That costs about only a bowl of noodles. Cheap."

After she left the room, I was left to wonder, again, why it was so easy to measure the worth of an object, but not the worth of a human or a relationship.

I think it's worth it sacrifice my life for any of my family members. I think it's worth it to skip other programmes for cell. I think it's worth it to sleep less to listen to a despondent friend. I think it's worth it to shortchange myself for the better of others.

But wait, my beliefs are not necessary the same as others whom I believe in. And wait again, on some days I am not as sacrificial and giving as I make myself sound to be. So, should I subscribe to the idea that I ought to do unto others what they would do unto me?

My question is, how then do you exactly measure worth?

I'm still in the process of figuring my own way. Maybe I'll get some revelation after talking to God. Maybe I won't figure it out this season of my life. But in an answer to the questions above, I won't do unto others what they would do to me. Because I don't strive for eros nor philos love, I strive for agape. And, I think the greatest worth is to lay down my rights to tread the path the Lord wants me to. Words are cheap, may I be able to live my words out.