"Empty pockets never held anyone back.
Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that."
~Norman Vincent Peale
I spent the first part of the evening paying bills, whittling away at our bank account. Easy come, easy go. I already knew – and the kids knew – this would be a record-breaking teensy Christmas, as far as gifts go.
And on most levels, we're okay with that. We've never gone overboard with the gifts (not that we were ever able to!) and I really hate the commercialization of Christmas and the emphasis on BUY, BUY, BUY!
…but still, seeing it reinforced like that…ouch!
Let Santa know what you want, darlin's
(and remember he's on a budget!)
because Mama and Daddy have empty pockets.
A little down in the dumps, I wrote something on Facebook about how paying bills sure challenges your Christmas spirit.
Like a (gentle) smack on the face, a friend wrote back, "Being able to pay bills is the silver lining that should brighten one's Christmas spirit?????"
What a wake-up call! (Thank you, Ray!) It reminded me, and I'm very grateful, that no matter how broke we've been over the years, how worried I'd be about paying all the bills (not paying them off, mind you…just making the payment), we've always had enough. Sometimes, just enough. Barely. And sometimes there was a little juggling going on. But it worked. There was enough.
Compared to others, we have it made… nothing fancy…maybe not everything we want, but everything we need…and even some of what we want plus room to carve out a little for family and friends…
And we have plenty of other blessings that can't be bought at any price.
Whaddaya know. Having empty pockets can be a good thing! There's nothing left but faith and trust and lots of determination and imagination.
And the sky's the limit on those… They're free.
Long Hollow 
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