Life Lessons

I feel the need to capture this moment, so bare with me: Life has been chaotic to say the very least this year. Between moving into our new home, going from just 2 of us to 6, opening a business, starting a new job, balancing schedules and trying to maintain some sense of normalcy...I feel like life has been wrapped up in work. And as much as I feel as I have lived at all 3 of my jobs this summer and spent very little time at home or with our children, I feel like there is this constant financial strain and we can never get ahead. Something always seems to come up and I feel myself drowning. OK, maybe you feel like I am overreacting, and maybe I am. But as much as we have worked and are still working, I feel as though we should be far more ahead than where we are. As I am venting to a coworker who is sensing my stress, she conveys the same problems she is personally having. We wallow in each others pity for a few moments and we move on. The very next evening as we are at work, and homeless woman walks into the lobby. Mind you, we work a very upscale boutique hotel right on the ocean. As most people would be mortified that this woman is coming into our hotel, my heart just sinks for her. It made me feel about an inch tall. Here is this woman who has no home, no food, no car...etc and I am sitting here frustrated because I can't get ahead with bills. This woman is in our lobby asking to use a phone to call a friend to see if she could come over for her weekly a shower. A shower...not food, not clothes...but a shower. I so desperately wanted to let this woman into one of our rooms and use the shower. She gets in contact with her friend and is denied the use of the shower until the following day. She hands back the phone with a look of disappoint and frustration. She thanks us for being so polite and walks away. It took all I had to hold back tears. This poor woman couldn't even get a simple shower. Here I am wallowing in self pity over stupid things when I should be appreciating what I have. Nope, some months a few bills will be late, but they will be paid. I have an amazing home, heat, water, food, a car and a great family. Some people have nothing. I'm not saying that I won't get upset or stressed out over money, because it is inevitable. But I will take more time to appreciate the simple luxuries that I am blessed to have.