Enter last night's budget check. Oh. My. Are we really that poor? When did that happen? Why doesn't it feel as cozy and heart-warming as the stories? The articles I read always had a tinge of the sweet about them. Let me tell you, though: I felt nothing sweet when my heart constricted and panic set in. I foresaw five years of toil and constant stress.
Enter a calm husband, who reminded me that we have savings, who reminded me that our budget actually covers our necessary expenses, who reminded me that this was indeed a phase, who reminded that me we felt excellent about this decision, especially the decision that is leading to the most imminent major expenses, etc. My breath seeped back in...slowly.
No doubt the couples behind those Ensign articles had moments of sheer terror too. However, their growth occurred despite the panic (even more likely because of the panic). As time passed, hard days got swallowed by moments of insight. So that is the new goal: look for the growth; ignore the panic. And maybe one day I'll be able to walk into Banana Republic again.
1 comment:
Would it be completely ignorant at this point to say I've wanted to be such a couple, too?
I think you're right about those articles (particularly those written by general authorities). Indeed, hard days were swallowed in moments of insight... I'm thinking that YEARS of retrospect help too. :)
PS thank you for writing, I was just thinking that our blog needed a little nudge.
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