I had the opportunity to visit my 93 year old Grandmother the other day. Also with her was my Great Aunt (Grandmother’s sister – 92). These are two very strong ladies. They both still live on their own, 1 of them still drives a car (don’t even get me started about that!).
It was fun to hear them talk about the “old days.” WIth all the bad news about the economy that seems to be around us, it was good to get a little historical perspective. They talked about living through the depression. And even though it was tough, they made it. I learned that times were so bad financially that when my Grandmother and Grandfather were married, and my Great Aunt and Uncle were first married, they all lived with my Great Grandmother and Grandfather. Can you imagine three families (one with a baby!) living togther in a two bedroom house?
There was no debt – who would lend you money knowing that you couldn’t pay it back? It was not even living paycheck to paycheck – they would have loved steady work. It was living meal to meal and day to day. And yet there was no bitterness or complaining. That’s just the way life was. And they made the best of it.
It made me realize how good I have it now, and how “soft” the typical American is today. I worry about investments, they worried about what to eat next. I worry about fixing up the house, they worried about having a roof over their heads at night. I complain about my job, they wished they had jobs.
In some ways I am envious. My Grandmother and Great Aunt are so full of life. They have such wonderful stories of their past. They have a legacy. I hope that I can pass on more than just money to my children.
