No need to go into what a hard year 2009 turned out to be. Old news. What I want to talk about is how I survived it. I’m no different than anyone else, mind you. I’m not whining. Admittedly, I probably had it better than some. What made it difficult was that my husband was laid off from his job last February. Sure, he had unemployment and another supplement, so we did alright, even though our income was cut 20%. I still had my job, too. So that helped. We’re grandparents raising a 17 year old grandson. Needless to say, a challenge in its self. So, we watched what we spent, and cut back where we could, no different than anyone else. I’ll admit, I was a little resentful. I’m 61 yrs. old and looked forward to an early retirement. That’s out the window now, like many other people in my situation. I’ve worked since I was 13 and I’m tired of the daily grind. My husband knows this. He hears about it almost every day! But, you see, something happened during this year, as time wore on. Yes, he finally was called back the week of Christmas. , but that’s not what I want to tell you.
After he’d had his yearly physical, they found a kidney stone. So while laid off, he underwent the treatment for that and endured the pain of the blasting and the passing. He’s a trooper. Never complained. What made my year survivable to me was how he got up every morning at 5:30, just like he has every morning all his life. Not only did he get up, but he cooked me and my grandson breakfast EVERY morning. Sausage and biscuits. Eggs,and bacon, pancakes, etc. He packed me a lunch every day. He did the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen. The laundry was done and put away when I got home. He was always in the yard or his workshop when I got home, working on a new project to improve our home, our yard, or the vehicles. He never complained, even though I whined every day about how he got to stay home, and I had to go to work. The weekends were spent doing what I wanted to do, going to the movies, site-seeing, shopping or just hanging out together. By the way, he hates going to the movies. Hates the chairs and the loud volume. But he went. He could’ve gone fishing, or napped in the recliner, or anything else he wanted to do, but he didn’t. And when Christmas and my birthday rolled around, he outdid himself with his thoughtful gifts. There were tears and guilty feelings on my part.
Now, he’s back to work and the loving breakfasts have fallen by the wayside and I have to make my own lunch and cook the grandson something for his breakfast. But somehow, I don’t mind. I MISS it, of course, but his attitude, and love buoyed us through a very difficult time, and I’ve come into the new year full of hope and energy and love for the best husband a woman could ask for. So when I start to feel sorry for myself, I will remember the happy example I had in my husband during a most difficult time in our lives. I know this episode will give me strength in this new year. I’m not whining so much now, and I have a renewed energy and hopefulness. My husband is the true example of a real partner. Here’s to you, sweet man!
