How Did I Get So Lucky?

I have lived through a home foreclosure, an auto repossession, and months where I only had a couple of dollars to my name.  I have worked with creditors, begged loan officers, and worked two jobs at a time.  I have watched my name become financial mud.  I have created dinner out of a tomato and a bag of rice. But despite all of this, I have watched two of the most incredible people in the world teach me over and over again that what matters most is family.  My daughter and son have dealt with serious life changes in the last two years--a broken home, a father who abandoned them, a serious decline in lifestyle, and a confusing string of events that would make most adults crumble.  Amazingly, they laugh and smile and love openly.  My daughter, being the tough, justice-driven girl that she is, has taught me that sometimes it is necessary to stand up and fight, even when you are exhausted.  My son, the laid-back, easy going sweetie, has taught me that forgiveness and true love make more of a difference in life than anything else.  Where would I be right now if I hadn't been lucky enough to have these two children to show me the truth of life?  I know that I would not be the happy person that I am today.  And, as hard as it is to make life work sometimes as a single parent, I feel sorry for their father who has chosen not to be a part of their lives.  He is the one missing out.  He is the one who is not accepting the incredible blessing that these two people are.  I say with 100% percent certainty that I wouldn't change my life at this moment.  I get the pure, true, amazing love of my daughter and son everyday.  How did I get so lucky?