I have a hard time believing that my little family lives in poverty. Just three years ago we were on top of the world, but times change. Circumstances change. Money and income change. Everything changes.
Here's where we are now:
A family of five--my beloved husband and I have been married 21+ years. We have three kids between the ages of 12 and 8, which we home school. We have two dogs and one cat. We bought our small (less than 1200 square feet) house 7 years ago when we moved to the area. We bought our car 3 years ago to replace an aging minivan. It was a great bargain, but one we had to finance and now we have to worry about.
The easiest way to explain the financial problems, is to say that my husband's company was bought out. He had hoped to stay on, but they got rid of his entire office. We've been through the severance package, the unemployment benefits, the retirement funds. We've sold what we can. As a stay at home mom and homeschooling mom, I've been frugal, I've been careful, I've been willing to do without, in order to preserve our way of life. My husband searches for work, and works with former coworkers to get a new business off the ground, but its fewer hits and more misses at this stage. I search for work. I teach the children their school lessons, manage the house, and try to keep the stress to a minimum.
To add to the situation, I was injured while I helped my husband with a cleanup project. I managed to get a diagnosis of a torn meniscus in my left knee, but I don't appear to qualify for any medical help to actually fix the problem. I live in a world of unmanageable pain, in which the intensity increases everyday. My husband takes care of me. My kids are expected to help out, and they do. They keep the house and help cook. They are good kids, and my husband is a good man. My knee has failed me, but more importantly, because of it, I've failed my family.
It is here that we struggle to hold onto a shred of dignity and hope. We question the events that led us to this place, but only briefly, we can't change the past or make different decisions now. We can only try to survive.
Bethany, First of all you have not failed your family. You are an amazing mother. I marvel at your dedication to your family. Your kids seem to be very grounded. You are one of the families that fall in the crack of our system. It looks like a hamster on a wheel. I have always wondered how you can keep a job when you are required to attend all the appointments.There are a few who think they are entitled. This makes it harder for the good ones. I am sorry for what you are going through. But you will get through it, and come out stronger. You will show your children what a good strong woman is made of. And they will see a life lesson first hand.You will know for sure what is really important in this crazy life.
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