Too Blessed to be Stressed

How about some random thoughts.

I sit and think often about how I live paycheck to paycheck, barely. Everyday I think about how to stretch my dollar til my next check. Then I remember the next check will go to the rent, and that I have to stretch that dollar now for a whole month. Wow. Rent, utilities, food, gas, household supplies, car payment and insurance. It is all taken up. What to do if anybody gets sick, or my car breaks down, or well on and on. Me and my two sons, two dogs, and a cat. Oh yes, one son has a lizard that needs to be fed too.
As I drive to work I think about these things. Thankful that I have enough gas to get to work. Thankful that I have that Pop Tart and Cup O Noodles to eat for the day. And for dinner, Mac n Cheese & hot dogs - again. Such is the life for me. Pondering these thoughts every single day, it only dampens me, for a moment. Then I think about the following.

I think how lucky I am to have a job to go to. I think how blessed I am to have a reliable car to get me there. How fortunate I am to have a home of my own, with my children and our pets. Our family is together. My boys are still living with me, not caught up in the usual passtimes of kids their ages. I think how glad I am that we have just enough of what we need. And I am appreciative again.

There are so many people in this country that do not have these things. Many who had it, and have lost it all: their jobs, homes, cars, and ultimately their families. So many people I have seen recently that are living in RV's in parking lots. Some are living in shelters with their children. So many bank owned property signs on houses, it is so saddening. Also the abandoned animals that people cannot take care of anymore. I just had an abandoned pit bull find it's way to my house. Poor dog, looked like he hadn't eaten in days. Like someone drove him up my hill and threw him out of the car. Anyway that's another story.

I guess not having anything really substantial to lose to begin with has kept me in the safety zone. No mortgage, no stocks. It's amazing to me how when you grow up in this country, the goal as an adult to be successful is to go to college, have the well paying career, get married, buy a house, have children that you can primp to grow up to do the same things, have the family pet, the cars, the recreational toys, take vacations. Yet alot of families that had all these things not too long ago, have or are in jeapordy of losing all of it. I feel such empathy for these growing number of people. Slowly knowing it's all slipping through their fingers.. It's just a matter of time. Not knowing what to do. How do you tell your children? What do you tell your children?

To go from living the American dream to living in your car has got to have the ingredients for all around chaos in a person. Everything out of control. Psychologically and emotionally challenging. I'm not going to go into it further because it really gets me charged up, and that too is another story. I sincerely feel for people.

So for this I am blessed. Too Blessed to be Stressed. I am fortunate, blessed, and lucky today. By the time I'm finished thinking all of these thoughts, I have arrived at work. Time to start another day. I am thankful.