Grateful

I was going to post this as a Facebook status, but then realized a) its too long and I don't like forever long FB statuses. b) I felt like it was journal worthy.

While I was doing hair today, a little old lady knocked on my door and asked if I cut hair. I told her I did and we scheduled a time for her to come back that night.

She is a cute old lady. I think she is Hispanic, and proudly told me she is 82. I could hardly understand a word that came out of her mouth, but she talked the whole 1/2 hour it took for me to cut her hair. I enjoyed listening to her. While she was a little hard to understand I did understand a few things. She was visiting her daughter? In our neighborhood while the daughter was working and the son-in-law was away working.

She kept telling me how she had 7 children, 2 have passed away, and she worked hard to raise them. She kept saying "I want them to go to college. I want them to get a good education" She kept telling me how proud she was that 3 of her grand kids are going college.

Through out all of the conversation, what stood out most, is how lovingly she took care of her kids. She worked every night she said so that they could go to school and what a privilege it is that they got to go to school. She would say "Now kids have to go, back then they didn't have to. I work so they can go" She told me she would work at night and be home in time to get the kids bathed and ready for school. What a woman.

I know many moms work outside of the home and I admire them for that. I think what stood out about this little lady and her stories was the fact that she would not trade any of it. She is so happy her kids have the things they do. It was a dose of humble pie.

I am so blessed to have the things I do. We don't want for much. Sure, I wish I had more money, better car, bigger house, but I have money, I have a car, I have a house. What a good feeling. I pray to appreciate the things I have and it never fails that when I pray, I receive my answer. This lady made me appreciate what I have and that even though Todd and I work hard for the things we have, I am SO blessed to be able to stay home with my children and have the opportunity to go back to school. Those are things I have always tried to not take advantage of, but it's nice to have the reminder every now and then also.