Things Get Tough(er)

Life was indeed more difficult for me with three little ones to care for. Walks to the park became less and less. It was just too much work. And even necessary trips to the grocery store were an ordeal rather than a welcomed excuse to get out of the house. Going to church was even worse on the Sundays that Jim had to work. Trying to keep a three-year old, a two-year old, and a baby quiet and under control was nearly impossible. You would think in a ward of predominantly older people there would be "grandmas" who would love to hold a baby or entertain a toddler. But sad to say, I don't remember even once anyone offering to help me out. I dreaded going to church, but I did. And somehow I even managed to do my visiting teaching...dragging along my three little girls. I 'm not so sure the sisters appreciated my visits, rightly so.

The thing that would make me quit feeling sorry for myself was to wonder how it would feel to change places with Jim. How would I like to be under the pressure he must be feeling trying to keep up with his demanding work schedule while trying to do well in school? Now in his senior year the classes were extremely difficult and competitive because only the best of the best remained in the program. Soon interviewers would be coming to the school to recruit the best graduates for the higher paying jobs. And he knew grades counted a lot. As I thought about all of these things I was grateful for my job of being a mom and a loyal supporter of loving companion who was going through all of this for us, his family, so that we would have a better life. His sacrifice was so much more than mine.

This last semester was probably the most challenging of all. First, Jim was in a car accident on the way home from work one night. Someone ran a red light and broadsided him, totalling the car... our only car. The car had to be towed and the officers who came to the scene wouldn't even give Jim a ride, so he had to walk about five miles home at midnight. I was worried sick wondering why he was so late getting home. I always waited up for him. In our prayers that night we sincerely expressed our gratitude for His protecting Jim from serious injury. We would leave worrying about what to do about transportation until morning.

Thankfully, the car was pretty old and probably due to break down at anytime, anyway. And the insurance money, though not much, gave us a down payment on a "new" used car...a red Buick. But now we had a car payment to make. That was not in our meager budget. So I began rotating other monthly payments, slipping a different one each month in order to make the payment. I figured that it would only be a few more months until we would have a real job with a "big" income and could catch everything up before collectors started knocking. We had no other choice. Jim HAD to have a car for school and work. And then.....