On the bright side.

[silverweb]

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]I've been poor all my adult life. I've raised two kids alone, without the benefit of legally owed child support (courts were no help at all back then), working and worrying about child care and all the other attendant problems of single motherhood.

I was "fired" from two jobs for leaving work for child-related emergencies, only to be ordered back to work the next day when I didn't show up because I thought I'd been fired.

But you know what? My kids grew up in a poor but peaceful home, unspoiled, and understanding and compassionate towards others who struggle, too. They make me very proud of the adults they've become.

We learned to be resourceful, creative, and think outside the box. We embraced our lives by living simply and focusing on important things - things like their education and being caring of others.

I'm still poor. Social Security isn't nearly enough to live on, so I still work part time and will continue to work until I'm incapacitated.

But I've never been happier. I consider the working poor "my people" because they're generally more down-to-earth, honest, and kind - but I'm not shamed or intimidated by people with money, like I was when I was much younger. I have enough to get by and even to be able to help some who have less.

Life can still be good when one is poor, but only if basic needs are met. That's why universal healthcare is so very important, why insane housing costs need to be controlled, and why the necessities of life need to be accessible to all.