Count our blessings....

That's what I emailed my husband yesterday after learning a friends home had been turned upside down by contractors hired to fix their lead problem. She and her husband and two small boys (both under 4) are now living in a 1 br high rise because the contractors broke pipes, flooded the basement and made the kitchen structurally unsound. They are in month 2 of the high rise and she guesses it will be another 2 months at least before they can move back home. The good news is her son who had the lead issues which brought about the move in the first place, has been cleared by his doctor.

This definitively qualifies as an emergency and she said they have depleted their savings but its a no brainer.

I have three other friends who come to mind who are single mothers. How they have managed to raise so far healthy, happy and well balanced kids almost entirely on their own, as well as maintained their own sanity amazes me. They are my heroes. This is not an exaggeration. I hate it when my husband leaves on a business trip for 4 days. I hate it when our son has a virus during the workday and I am home alone dealing with his puke. I know God doesn't put anything on our plates we can't handle, but man these ladies seem to be carrying more than their fair share...and all I can say is good help the fathers if I should ever see them, especially if I have enjoyed adult beverages of late. These men are pond scum as far as I am concerned.

I have friends who are in loveless marriages, and other friends whose only time with their children is in the car on their way to and from work. One friend recently nearly cried as she described her daily commute and lamented hardly ever getting to see her son awake.

So here we are. I am still madly in love with my husband and he proves every day that despite my growing belly, my constant nagging to pick up his socks and shirts from the floor in any given room and my alleged-bed hogging ways, that he feels the same. We play with our son in the morning before he goes to work and at night when he gets home from work. We eat dinner together most nights and there are even some days when we drive into his office and have a picnic lunch so our son can look at the bells outside -- something that fascinates him. We have a good car which is reliable and safe for The Monkey and his baby sister/brother due in September.

I have been thinking a lot lately about our blessings. Between the tornadoes in North Carolina (which I experienced first hand when I was there and had to run into an unknown brick structure to escape, while my childhood friend affectionately refered to as DA stayed in the car because she "felt safer") Alabama (did you read the Sports Illustrated story, I am linking it here but I think you have to be a subscriber...if not, go to library its incredible!) and now Missouri, as well the above stories about our friends, I am reminded everyday we are ok.

Yes, I will complain endlessly about our 800 sf, it drives me crazy. And I hate that we have so much C-R-A-P in our house but cant seem to pitch or part with. I hate that we are beholden to the weather and the community gods in hopes we can have a birthday celebration for our son at a local park and not have to worry about others taking the grill first. I hate that I can hardly ever host playdates because I feel our place is so cramped.

But with all that said, I would not trade with any of my friends right now. Those that have bigger houses, more money or live in an area that is less expensive. It seems in life we all have our challenges. Our challenge is keeping sane in 800 sf and trying to keep our head above water. So far we are surviving (even if barely), but compared to the challenges of others, I will take this in a heartbeat.