Bliss in the Bills

Some say that money doesn't buy happiness, but having enough money to pay my bills is one of the most blissful feelings in the world. There is a deep sense of satisfaction in knowing that as a result of our efforts, we can pay for the basic necessities of life and afford a few extras. I get extra satisfaction out of being able to pay my bills on time every month because a few years ago we weren't always able to keep the lights turned on and there were a few times when we had to borrow money from our parents for necessities.

Sometimes it's all too easy to forget those lean years as I sit in my beautiful living room looking out at the park with my almost new car parked in the driveway. However, I know those luxuries come at a price of free time. To pay for life in Arlington Heights, my husband and I both have to work full time jobs which leave us exhausted and cranky. All too often, food comes from the closest fast food joint and not from the pantry.

The lean years weren't all bad as I was freelancing and wasn't working full time so I had plenty of time to volunteer at the kids' school and spend time with them before and after school. Despite how much I hated not having money for all the extras I wanted to give them, I wouldn't trade those years for anything in the world. I got to be there to watch my kids in school, be there when they came home from school, and I had the time to take them to the park whenever we wanted.

We always managed to make the most of the money we had and in a lot of ways life was better without a lot of cash. We spent more time together in the evenings instead of all going our own way and there was a sense that we were in it together. Meals were better too as we didn't have money for fast food, but had to cook at home. We also managed to take our kids to Disney World during those lean years with a trip cobbled together with freebies from the Web and a little bit of savings.

However, I am pragmatic enough to realize that despite the highlights of our lean years, there was plenty of strife as we struggled to make our pennies stretch to cover our bills. There was always a sense of failure as we realized there was too much month left at the end of each paycheck. There is no glory in having your lights shut off.

As I sit and reflect on life then and now, I realize that I need to find a way to balance the bliss of more time with my family with the bliss of having my bills paid. It isn't easy, but I'm finding my way back to bliss.

Loving Bliss

My life is blessed and I mean that with utter sincerity. As I sit here and listen to the album Quietude by Cliff deMarks', I'm reflecting upon all the blessings in my life and how fortunate I am to be living the life I am and sharing it with the man I love.


Twenty-one years ago, I met my best friend, my soul mate, the person I would choose to share my life and my love with. I fell in love the first moment I saw him with his beautiful blue eyes and I was truly a goner when I got a love letter from him. Hubby is a left hander so he doesn't often write things by hand as he has to hold the pen at a weird angle that hurts his hand, but soon after we met, he took the time to write me a four page love letter that I cherish to this day. In it he laid out his hopes and dreams for our future. Things haven't quite worked out the way we'd both hoped, but they worked out the way they are supposed to.


As we struggled to find ourselves and where we were meant to be in the early years of our marriage, we moved a lot and by a lot I mean we've lived in ten houses in our time together and all but twice we moved ourselves. We'd pack all our boxes, pick up the furniture, and drive the U-haul to the next stop on our life together. I always knew he had my back and I hope he always knew I had his. Wine and roses are blissful, but they don't always last. Knowing someone has your back and will be there to lift and tote beside you, that matters and that lasts.



Hubby isn't one for flowery speeches or roses, but he's always there for me and he always supports my hopes and dreams, sometimes at the expense of my own. It seems that I'm always getting on a plane and flying off somewhere, but I know he's got my back and things will be fine at home. He sometimes says that I take him for granted and I probably do, but there is a feeling of true bliss to know someone has your back and that he will always be there for you.

Writing - as those of you who read my blog know - is one of my passions. Unfortunately I love the creative side of writing and am not so strong on the mechanics, but Hubby always has my back and makes sure that the commas get put in all the right places and that all the words are spelled right. He makes me look good and for that I am forever grateful.


I used to think that marriage was about lust, about roses, and about pretty words, but in the twenty one years I've been with my husband, I've learned that marriage is about sacrifice, it's about hard work, and it's about having someone's back.