I guess it was last week when I realized how lucky I was.
I always thought that I had things difficult for me, since I was widowed with a 1 year old baby and no job. I finally got a job as a waitress, and after a long time of worry, desperation and unhappiness, I finally made it through that dark time. Afterwards, it got easier, but slowly. Even though I struggled for a long period of time, things got much easier once my child had hit 5 and was on their way to school. Then I could start focusing more on myself as well as giving more time to my job. After that, it seemed like the years went by in a blur, and here I am with my child who is 15 and is already looking at colleges to go to even though she is still in highschool. When I went to visit an old friend of mine, I realized how lucky I was once again. My friend Lorri had kids late, and was stuck with a 3 year old and 2, 1 year old twins who loved trouble. Like I was, she is struggling in her current job and making enough money. She also told me how the air conditioner has been broken for a long time. I felt really bad for her, since I once was at an all time low like that. It reminded me how lucky I am in to be done with that phase, and I told her it would get better. I started helping her pay for some of her children’s supplies. As for her air conditioning unit, I couldn’t afford buying a new HVAC unit for her, but I told her that it was welcome to borrow our portable A/C any time if she wanted.