Okay, so I think of our family as almost poor, at times, especially when I look at some of my friend’s homes and cars and so on. But really we have more than enough. We have food for our bellies, heat for our homes, and clothes for our backs. Good things for which I am grateful.
We tell our daughters that we’ve made choices–important choices–and that’s why we don’t have a huge house and the latest gadgets. We chose to leave the DC area where I had a busy editing/writing career and made money. We chose to move to the Valley so that I could stay home. That meant some changes needed to be made.
Keeping the big picture in perspective is not always easy. But I won’t sacrifice time with my children so that I can have a bigger house or dress better or buy as many books as I want (like I used to.) I’ve learned to appreciate the library, the Goodwill, and yard sales in a way that I could never have imagined before I gave up my job.
It’s funny where life leads if you open yourself to possiblities. I never would have imagine writing a cookbook, for example. Now, I am at work on my second cookbook proposal. I am grateful for this new appreciation of cookbooks.
So much to be grateful for, even without the extra money in my pockets…
