24 Days of Thanksgiving - Day Two

For this second day of Thanksgiving, I want to talk about how grateful I am to have enough.

We're coming up on that time of year when people tend to be more aware of the suffering of others. During the Christmas season, charities abound. You have Angel Trees, Toys for Tots, and the ever-ringing bells of the Salvation Army outside many stores. Christmas brings out the Christlike love in most people, to a greater extent than you see during the rest of the year.

I've been a little worried about how we're going to afford good Christmas presents this year. In the past, we've always managed to have a little extra money around the holidays, but this year will probably be different. This year, we've got to make do with what little we can spare from each paycheck.

But the fact is, we WILL have Christmas presents. We are by no means wealthy, but we have enough to make ends meet, with a little left over. We may be on a tighter budget this year, but Santa Claus will be stopping by our house with plenty of goodies for my little girl.

Little Evie, back when we were poor. :)

Other families are not so lucky. Some go with nothing almost ever year. And with the state of the economy being what it is, there are probably many families who are going to be struggling for the very first time this year, when they have known plenty in years past. I can imagine how hard that will be for them. Hopefully the Christmas spirit touches their friends and neighbors, and all those who are less fortunate will be able to have a wonderful Christmas in spite of financial difficulties.

My family and I are very fortunate that we have all of our needs met. We have been incredibly blessed. Living a military lifestyle certainly isn't always easy, but at least we don't have to struggle financially.

I'm sure it's nice to be rich. I wouldn't really know, because I've never been rich, but I imagine there's some satisfaction in being able to buy things on a whim. I'm a gift-giver - it's one of the ways I show love - and I would definitely enjoy being able to buy something for somebody "just because;" as a way of saying "I love and appreciate you."

I don't have that luxury. But the fact is, my family and I have enough. And that truly is a huge blessing.

When we were poor, starving college students, there were months when I had to decide which bills to pay. There were times when all we could afford was formula and diapers for our baby girl, and Ben and I had to go without. We were making less money than we needed to pay for everything most months, and it was incredibly stressful. I remember looking forward to the day when we would be able to pay all of our bills and still have enough left over for gas and groceries. I didn't dream of vast riches, I dreamed of getting by.

That dream is a reality now, and it feels wonderful. I have a strong sense needing to pay what I owe, so those past months when we were unable to pay some of our bills, or we had to pay our rent late, were terrible. I always felt so guilty.

Evie now! :)

It feels wonderful to have enough money to pay every bill that comes our way, and be able to cover living expenses. And with the little bit of extra we have, maybe we can brighten someone else's Christmas, too. Because we know how awful it feels to be broke.

Maybe having "enough" isn't as great as having "a lot," but for me... it's enough. ;)

And I'm so grateful for it!