The Silver Lining

Money is tight right now. I have to confess--it is a situation I created when I quit my job recently. Still, as the holiday season rolls around, it is a very uncomfortable place to be. I don't like scrimping and "getting by". Honestly, I don't want to be thinking about money at all, yet here I am stressing over it!

I did have a reason for quitting. I have wanted to get out of being a daycare teacher for years. The only reason I got into it in the first place was because I was getting divorced and I had three very small children who needed fulltime care. As my youngest started high school this year, I have no need for the daycare services I required years ago. I have just been teaching so long it is now part of my "comfort zone". For the past several years I have felt restless--like I need to be doing something different, something more. Then, the situation at work became intolerable for me and I knew I needed to do something different now.

As uncomfortable as the money situation is for me at present, I do know one thing. This too shall pass. Whether we see it as good or bad, life is a constant state of flux. Looking back on my life, I have always had what I needed when I needed it--somtimes just in the nick of time.

The other thing I am reminded of is the fact that my greatest understandings have come during those times when life has been most difficult. Every great tragedy has always come with a great reward. When I lost my newborn daughter, I learned how to deal with separation and how to help others cope with their own losses. When I divorced, I learned how to face life and become independent. Yes, those times were hard, but I would not be the person I am today without those experiences. My life has been immensely blessed as a result. The storm clouds of life are always present, but you can find the silver lining when you take the time to look.