Last night I showed up late to a MOM's Club mom's night out at the Cheesecake Factory.
I would have gone earlier but my husband didn't want me to leave him with the kids when he had homework to do. Although he didn't even get started on it until after they were in bed anyway, so I don't know what damn difference it made other than we both got to play with them before bedtime and I putzed around on the internet wasting even MORE time.
Anyway....but I went anyway. One of our moms and her husband have been hit hard by the economy and the real estate mess. Her husband is in business for himself in real estate and sad to say, it's so bad that they have to pack up their entire house (they rent though, isn't that ironic?) and move out of there before the end of the month because they can't afford rent. The worst part is that she and her daughters will have to move to her family's place all the way in Mexico and her husband will stay here in some dumpy cheap place so he can try and get them out of debt. I know she is floored and overwhelmed. She asked if I could watch her girls next week for a few hours so she can get some packing done. I told her not to worry about it, it is no burden to me, and not to be embarrassed because we are friends and that's just what friends do. I will watch them all day for however many days she needs.
All the ladies at the table last night came up with a raffle and raised money for her within a matter of a couple of days and gave her half of the $200 and something dollars. All the moms have organized the Meals for Moms thing that they do and everyone volunteered to make a meal and bring dinner for each night of the week they are still here. I feel so badly for her and I will miss her very much. We will all miss her. And I only took the time to hang out with her a handful of times even though she was quickly becoming one of my better friends of the group. I'm just glad that we have such a great group of girls - even if I don't connect on a best friend level with all of them, I am amazed at how people can come together for another like that. It's something we should all be able to do. It's something that our countrymen should be able to do for each other on a regular basis. It's what makes life better, when capitalism isn't the main concern, when you think of others before yourself from time to time. I mean, it isn't that hard is it? She told us before we all left that she was touched and moved and that because of our mom's club president and all of our contributions, she has had her faith restored that there are good people in the world.
That is awesome....but I wish we didn't have to be amazed and have our faith restored in people. I'd like to think people are generally good in the world. I don't know if media and bad news journalism is to blame, but I'm sick of it and I'm hoping that with this new Presidency and the whole "Hope" campaign in the media, that people are waking up to being good to each other. Will people ever tire of apathy? Probably not....but I'm thinking they will be the people of the younger mindset. I'm thinking that those younger 20-somethings that I used to be, will grow out of the idea that they are the only ones on the planet besides "smelly horrible kids" and "old geezers" that make driving a pain in the ass.
So I am thankful for my humble yet elegant rental home.
I am thankful that my family is still in tact.
I am thankful that my kids are smart and spunky and usually healthy (besides this never ending cold we seem to have)
I am thankful that I can go to Lowe's and buy $30 worth of hardware for a dresser that my mom got for me for free from my aunt, even though the screws that come with them aren't long enough and I have to pack up the kids out into the cold and go back and buy longer ones.
I am thankful that I am having a little birthday party for my one year old this Saturday even though we are out of extra cash for the month.
I am thankful that I have a Wii and World of Warcraft and all the other toys that we got so I didn't have to leave the house and spend money to keep myself entertained.
I will be more thankful though if my daughter would potty train already so I didn't have to buy anymore diapers. LOL
Guess I'm never satisfied. :P
Maybe it’s geography or just that tradition dies harder here in the South…but this is just what Life is. Somebody needs help? Help them. No “Why?” you just do it because it’s what needs to be done.
ReplyDeleteIt’s the same principle that makes me angry when I see people who don’t pull over for an ambulance. You don’t pull over out of a sense of civic duty or respect…you pull over because, next time, it could be you in the ambulance. And the same sort of thinking applies here.
But I wouldn’t pin my hopes on “this Presidency.” After today’s issuance of two “Executive Orders” whose content Mr. Obama seemed oblivious to, I think we’re starting to see the Tip of the Iceberg. When the Rubber meets the Road at the Executive Level, you can’t ask somebody else, “Will there be another Executive Order?” You’re the Executive…you should know. And that’s just another sign of the Liberal tendency to grab for power in the “ME first…I want it NOW” world of Politics. Sure…they claim a lot of noble sounding, high-minded ideas but when the bill comes due…well, let’s just say that a lot more people will be “moving” before it’s over.
If anyone was going to move, they would have done it the last time Bush was "elected."
ReplyDeleteI was raised in Texas, and I know full well the ways of Southern Hospitality. What I am referring to here, is the feeling of belonging to this country again. That it isn't going to be the same old white male government and traditions and ideals that we "liberals" are interested in. Actually liking my president? I never thought I'd see the day. I know you don't like Obama, C.S. But he's not going to save the shit storm we are in overnight....nobody could do that when you have to go through all the red tape and government filtering (checks and balances) as well as trying to make as many people happy as possible. Aaaanyway....the spirit of comraderie and citizenship that this country is high on really seems to be catching on...and when that happens, the masses get movement and they get direction, and change actually DOES happen...call it a self-fulfillling prophecy, but it is inspiring to me, regardless of your political opinions.