It's been raining almost non-stop for a week now. Many cities have been affected by the storm and knocked down trees at least 37,000 people have been without power in at least seven different counties. How fortunate or blessed we have been that Douglas County has not been affected in that way.
Our youngest son, Randy, used to spend time with a friend whose family was more well off than we. By allowing Randy to stay overnight and hang out with his friend's family as much as he did, Randy was given opportunities to some finer things that we, ourselves, could not provide.
When we lived in West Valley, many of Jenna's friends referred to her as Rich - believing her parents had money - as though we would have purposely chosen that neighborhood if we were financially well off. But we did live in a house. Most of Jenna's friends from West Valley lived in condos and apartments. Jenna did have her own trampoline while many of her friends shared community playgrounds. They also had access to a pool which Jenna thought gave them an advantage.
Jenna's best friend in Oregon (this post) doesn't even have an apartment. There are five family members living in a camper/trailer that would fit in our front room. They have lived in at least five locations just since school started and continue to pull the trailer around as their finances sink even deeper.
Roland and I have struggled financially most of our marriage. His ex-wife saw to that. How blessed we have been that we have always had a roof over our heads to protect us from the elements. I worry about Annett's family in this current weather. Already the car has broken down - which has made it more difficult to move.
Aside from already having been burned by trying to assist others, we're not in a position to help them escape their burdens. We have had Annett stay with us at times. She has had the opportunity to enjoy some "finer" things that she does not get at her home. The situation reminds me a bit of when Randy had spent time with his friend - only what Annett may consider "rich" for me is rather simple.
It's all a matter of perspective.
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