"We Are a Pretty Lucky Family, Aren't We?"

I convinced My Youngest to come shopping with me this morning. We went out for breakfast and did some back-to-school clothes shopping.

I picked up a muscle shirt for him yesterday. That is the only type of shirt that he will wear. The summer clothing was on a sale rack but I didn't see the reduced price. The price tag on the shirt was $6.00 and I didn't think that was too bad. It was even better when I looked at the price it was scanned at - $1.93! You can barely buy a cup of coffee for that price. Cha-ching!! Money saved is a prize I always enjoy winning.

I looked in two major stores to find him some jeans. He has grown an inch or two this summer and his existing jeans are now well above his ankle. He is one size taller but his waistband is probably three sizes smaller than the average. I convinced him to come along with me today since I thought we could be into a whole new clothing challenge.

We lucked out. Not only did we find his usual brand of jeans, but they still come with the adjustable waist band. And when the clerk scanned them, we got two pairs for the price of one. Both pairs of jeans were scanned - I double checked. The receipt said right on it - "Your Total Purchase Savings: $16.97"

We hopped in the car and I was marvelling at how cheaply I was able to outfit him for school. He then commented to me, "We are a pretty lucky family, aren't we?"

I haven't been feeling terribly lucky this past while as I have faced the challenges of unemployment, financial instability, a negative employment experience and a few other set backs. The moment that My Youngest put me on the spot, I realized how absolutely fortunate we are.

My state of unemployment equalled precisely four working days. My finances have been in a very precarious state but due to a variety of reasons, everything is working out just fine. Some of my experiences with employers this past month have not been pleasant ... but it is not ongoing. The ties have been severed and I am no longer part of a negative situation. There have been other little things, but when I look at the situation I realize how absolutely blessed that we are to have a family that rallies together and stands up for one another.

I had a quick flashback of my entire adult life. From the outside, looking in ... there have been times where it appeared that we were far from 'lucky'. In fact there have been spots that have been down right awful. But each and every challenge brought us to a better spot in the end. The only way we would have been unlucky would have been if we had stayed where we were at and not fought to regain our footing. Aspiring towards what I believe is right and fair has led me out of the darkness and into the light. Every single time.

All of these thoughts flashed before me in a grand moment of clarity when My Youngest voiced aloud his observation about our family's good fortunate.

Life isn't always a bed of roses. But when I look at it in reverse and find the many blessings in between the thorns, I honestly replied to My Youngest, "Yes we are very lucky!"