It may be that it's sunny after an evening of thunderstorms. It may be that my kids have been peacefully coloring and eating breakfast together on the floor for an hour. It may be that I did week two grocery shopping and well...I went nine dollars over but I bought Ben and Jerry's ice cream. (It was a slip! It won't happen again!) A success overall. But I think that this one-income thing is a blessing.
Now, don't get me wrong, when Tad and I are both working next year, I'll be pretty glad about that. But I will tell you this... for the past few months, before we made this decision...I was really being attacked by the green-eyed-monster. I'm embarrassed to say, but I'd go out to dinner with my girlfriends and experience a pang about how much more they seemed to be making than me...their bigger houses, their fancier life insurance...
But now we we have gone down to one income and since there is no reason to compete...I realize there was NEVER any reason to compete. My life is MY life and I love my life. I have a nice house in a kick-ass neighborhood. I have a job that I love going into every day, that makes me feel truly like I'm making a difference. I have coworkers who believe in what we're doing and my office is a fun place to be, most days. And mostly I have ... well I have my family. I have my two children who are wonderful and weird and mine... and I have a partner who I love so much I never tire of telling people our story and it never loses its magic no matter how many times I tell it. I'll save that for another post perhaps.
Anyway...if we're not careful, no matter how much we have we always are going to want more. When I was working for $10 an hour and Tad was in grad school, I said...when we're making thirty thousand..then things will be better... and now I say...when we're making more or can afford a vacation...then things will be better... BUT it doesn't matter. I need to be happy with what I have and what I do and how I live EVERY day... Even if its just ten minutes gratitude.
So...blessing in disguise. I'm going to appreciate what I have. And next year when we're both working..I will remember this. Nobody has it better than me. And hey, reader: Nobody has it better than you, either.
This was nice to read Alie! I have been going through similar income woes for awhile, as you probably know and I too have learned that no matter what you make or spend, there is always gonna be something you want that is out of your price range, more isn't always better and that what matters most usually is the people that you love. Good to hear your feelin it too! :)
ReplyDelete