Broke as a Joke

I am sure many of you poor college students can relate to the title of this post.  Many of you are young, immediately out of high school, and expected this.  And others are like me, hit hard by the economy, probably spent a few years overspending, buying things you can no longer afford because the money seemed endless and the sky seemed to be the limit for what you could earn, achieve, purchase, and accomplish.  However, like me, you now realize you should have been smarter with your money.  You should have set some aside for a rainy day, or the day you lost your job.  Had you done this, you may not have ever seen your material possessions disappear into thin air, repossessed, foreclosed upon or sold to make way for a cheaper version that you could actually afford because of job loss or a pay cut.  But alas, the glass is NOT half empty.  What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.  These material things, this money you may have once earned, which felt like a status symbol, are not the things by which we measure a person.  Because my friends, the best things in life are free.  What's really important in life are the things that we cannot put a price tag on... think of those Master Card commercials and the one item they list as "priceless." 

Back in my 20's I read a book called "The Broke Diaries" which was written by a young woman who went through a slew of low paying jobs and whose meals consisted mostly of Ramen Noodles.  Back then I could relate, as I was living on leftovers my then boyfriend/future husband brought home from his job cooking at the Olive Garden.  (It's only in the past few years that I am able to stand the sight of Breadsticks and Pasta Fagiol soup.)  Years passed and we were blessed with prosperity that made me say things like "As GOD IS MY WITNESS, I WILL NEVER EAT GENERIC MACARONI AND CHEESE AGAIN!"  As life tends to do, it has come full circle and I am once again checking the couch cushions for change the day before pay day.  And once again, I can relate to "The Broke Diaries."  I could write my own broke diary! Yet this time I am not crying about it, or waiting for prosperity and wealth to return.  This time I feel thankful for what I DO have.  A roof over my head,  a family who loves me (my 18 year old son bowing down at my feet the other night because I made those hot dog/cheese/crescent roll wraps - a comfort food of his childhood - to him this is better than a lobster dinner!),  friends who are there for me and always take care of my family (dropping off bags of what one calls "b*llsh!t food"  a/k/a junk food causing my husband to profess his love for these generous women as we have a buffet of chips and dips and muffins standing at our "furniture in a box" kitchen island snacking away), those friends giving me constant loans of $20 here and there until payday,  and God, who I feel closer to than I ever have before, has blessed me with a beautiful life and looking forward to all of my tomorrows.  

That being said, even if I do come into greater prosperity and wealth in the future, I will continue to live a simple life.  I don't have any great dreams of grandiose material possessions; I am content with what I have at this moment.  I would rather use any extra money I have to give back to others that may be going through what I am going through myself at this moment, and give back to those dear souls who have helped me through rough times.  I will live my life with a greater purpose and understanding.  And just as it is right now, the greatest "riches" in my life will be love.