Posted by
SquiddyPopPerkyJean on Sunday, January 27, 2008 5:47:31 PM
Ya know, my family has had a large share of trials lately. We've had enough for the whole year and it's not even February yet. What more can happen?
- I got a major illness that takes several months to see improvement.
- I can't ever be pregnant again or it will literally kill me.
- It's cold and icy outside,
- my baby has serious eczema all over,
- our basement flooded,
- my husband is out of work from the Writers' Guild strike,
- a close family member killed his wife and is going insane, doing things to ensure a more severe judgment and penalty, perhaps the death penalty.
- He left two little boys without parents and now there's a battle between both sides of the family for custody.
- Another family member has been threatening suicide...
- I'm still trying to lose pregnancy weight. Losing 80 (!!!) pounds takes a long time when you are only 5'3" and can't do much physically. 30 more to go...
- Our three-year old says his favorite band is KISS when it SHOULD be something cooler like Joy Division or British Sea Power or even the Cure!
- Uh, what else... my husband gets very bad back pain...
- I'm afraid for results of the 2008 presidential election...
So why do I feel so blessed? I'll admit, maybe the Lexapro is finally kicking in. With the severe anxiety and depression I had after being in the hospital, I was fantasizing about dying. That's not a good feeling. I guess some people have been praying for me, and now I'm feeling better!
I look at my own marriage and think, yeah, we've had our squabbles, but we've never cheated on each other or killed each other, so we're doing pretty good!
We have two adorable and healthy sons. There was a time in my early 30s when I wondered if I would ever find someone to marry (and I was dang cute, too!) and then after a couple years married, we thought we couldn't have children because we tried so hard to get pregnant with no luck. Now I have a great husband and two natural sons who bring so much love and humor into our home.
My husband's lack of work has allowed him to be home to help with the boys while I recover. He was here to help with the relative who committed the big crime, to support fellow family members at an extremely difficult time.
Although we do not know when the next paycheck will come, we've been blessed to have resources for another two or threee months. And in the past, the Lord has always provided for us. We've had a difficult job situation over the past three years, yet we've always been able to make the mortgage payments and feed and clothe our boys.
We live in a time when medicine is advanced and merely taking a few pills each day will heal my heart. A couple decades ago, I would have died. I would also have died in childbirth both times were it not for clean hospitals and doctors who could perform safe c-sections to save the babies.
We have clean, hot water every day. We have a variety of nutritious foods. We have electricity, computers, television, washing machines, etc.
I have steadily been losing weight, although not as fast as I like. But most people think I'm ten years younger despite an upcoming 40th birthday.
And the nation is still full of wonderful, kind, generous people! My TH blogger friends have good ideas, are aware of current events and have good values (as well as senses of humor).
Anyway... Dang it, even when life is awful and hard, there's still a God who loves us and allows us to learn and grow and helps us when desperate.
Now, for fun, I will reveal to you what the Squid REALLY looks like!
3rd Grade:
2001 before the ravages of pregnancy and sleepless motherhood:
What I look like now (with double chin and eye bags removed):
WITH double chin and sleepless, wrinkled eyes and another 30 pounds to lose:
My handsome husband now:
What I look like on the inside:
