Amendment

Okay, truly we are not poor. We have been blessed with amazing family, jobs we enjoy (most days), loyal friends, and more than plenty of toys and gadgets in our house to play with.  I know that there are many people who are in truly dire circumstances and my food poems would probably make them laugh at what feels hard to me occasionally.  Sometimes I chomp at the bit with impatience.  It just feels like we should be able to do everything on our own at this stage in our lives.

If I ever feel poor, I take a look around and think back to one of my college roommates who invited me to her family's home for dinner one time.  I have never seen a house so bare or a family so skinny! They literally had nothing in their house but a table, a few chairs, and a few plates and utensils.  There was a box to sit on and maybe a small TV.  During the meal, older kids went and washed dishes and utensils so that all the kids could get a chance to eat the mac & cheese.  When I commented on how warm their house was and mentioned that my dad liked keeping the thermometer low, the little kids piped up that they only had the heat on because I was visiting.  It was a humbling experience and a great way for me to keep perspective now.