Holidays celebrations were elaborate. We would often run out of room to put gifts(which wasn't hard to do in a 7x12 living room). Holiday dinners always consisted of turkey and ham, along with all the trimmings. My young mind could not even imagine how much money my mom must have been making! I mean, a tower of toys every year; A fabulous feast for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter! Oh Yeah, my mom was in the money.
I never remember a car being repossessed or any utilities being turned off. There was always food in the refrigerator and plenty of canned goods in the pantry. We even had the occasional family outing at one of the local fast food joints. Life was pure bliss!
Now, as an adult, I really have an appreciation for my mother and the way she raised us. I now know that the toys were bought on credit and she sometimes struggled to pay for them. The food was bought with food stamps.....I thought food stamps were regular currency with different colors. I never would have imagined that it was government assistance.
Because of my upbringing and the example my mother set, I can live carefree even in this economy. I wear clothes until they wear out. I'm sometimes called old fashioned, but I am always covered. No food gets thrown away at my house....Leftovers are just as good 2 days later! Maybe I'm just frugal.
I said all that to say this;"Your kids don't need to know your struggles. All they need to know is that they were taken care of". Some might disagree and say that kids need to know what you went through to provide for them, so that they will appreciate it more. I say that kids have enough to deal with these days, without having to think that they are a financial burden.
I applaud anyone who performs their parental duties without looking for a pat on the back. The satisfaction you get from knowing your family is taken care of is worth far more than any praise you could ever receive.
