Validation for my decision

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iVillage Member
Registered: 07-24-1997
Validation for my decision
4
Sun, 05-18-2008 - 7:06pm

As some people know, I've worked hard for the last four years to get out of debt and to increase my income substantially so that we're never in debt again.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm doing the right things. I work 60+ hours a week, sometimes on the weekend, and I travel quite a lot now. I'm not as involved with my kids as I'd like to be, and I leave almost all the home and kid stuff to SAH DH. There would be nothing unusual about this if the roles were reversed, and he were an ordinary husband working 60+ hours a week and I were a SAHM, but we moms always second guess ourselves a bit. . .

This week I got a real sense of pride that the path we've chosen is a good one (not the only one, but a good one). Our parish has fallen behind on its diocesan assessment, and last week our pastor made an unusual appeal for money. In the mail we got an extra envelope for the collection basket with a suggested amount to donate toward the total needed for the assessment. This suggested amount would have been incomprehensible 4 years ago, and a sacrifice 2 years ago. This year I was able to consider the amount and say, that is not enough. Should I double it? Even this didn't seem adequate to what we really *could* contribute. I ended up quadrupling it. That amount is sacrificial in some ways - there will be little things we will do without for the next 3 months - but it won't actually hurt us in any significant way. It felt sooooo good to be able to say, "Yes, I can help at a time when others are hurting more than I am from gas and food prices" - to be able to give to something I feel is important and to know that I can contribute for three other families that have less to give.

More than the donations I've been able to make to other nonprofits, this one hit home as being something tangible and as the real fruit of the hard work I've done for 4 years.

Kelly

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-12-2007
Sun, 05-18-2008 - 9:26pm

That's terrific, Kelly.

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-06-2003
Sun, 05-18-2008 - 9:28pm

Kelly,

What a wonderful gesture! You must be proud of how far you and your family have forged ahead!

Kassandra


"It is said that life has its peaks and valleys.

Kassandra

"It is said that life has its peaks and valleys.  The challenge is to accept them equally and experience them

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 05-19-2008 - 6:11am

That is a cool story.

Photobucket
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-01-2007
Mon, 05-19-2008 - 11:05am
Thats awesome Kelly.