A Contented Life….

   I have a friend who grew up very poor. She married a man who ended up being disabled and he gets a small disability check each month. They live from check to check and only have the basics in life. She still uses a ringer washing machine and she has never had an electric dryer. She loves that ringer washer and would never replace it with a new one! They live in an old school house with a beautiful stone foundation that originally belonged to her folks. The outside looks very quaint and typically New England. The inside needs a complete overhaul but they manage on their little income each month. She has been using an old vacuum for years and years, and it is so old, they no longer make it. Recently, they stopped making bags for it. She told her husband it was time to get a new one. Now mind you, we are talking about 25 to 30+ years here. “Next month, when we get our check, I’ll buy you one” he said. Yesterday was the day. She picked out an upright dirt devil with all the bells and whistles and at a good cost of $59.95 and a 2 year warranty. Her husband decided to kick in the extra 5.00 for another year of warranty, making it 3. Now, for a lot of us, this would not be a very big deal….getting a new vacuum. For her, it is huge!! There was a message on my machine this morning, I couldn’t hear what was being said, but what I could hear was this enormous excitement!! It didn’t even sound like her. I called back to find out what all the hurrah was about? Here is how it went…..”Oh my God Debbie….I took it out of the box and put it together. It doesn’t take any bags….it has a cup that collects all the dirt! It has an attachment for everything….including my stairs! Guess what?! It has a headlight! I can vacuum in the dark! Not that I want to….but I could! You wouldn’t believe the dirt it picks up. My old vacuum was so loud, it sounded like a tractor and the cats always ran for the hills. I turned this one on and they didn’t move! Can you believe it? I have vacuumed the whole house and I am still in my house coat!”…she said.  I was so happy for her and realized that for some people, it does not take that much to make them content. When you are poor, you are grateful for the little things. How greedy a lot of us become in life and want more and more, when in actuality, we have everything we need. Whenever I have something I don’t need any more, I try to see if she might need it. She is always so excited to receive a gift but never have I heard her as happy as today! It occurred to me that I have many “wants” in life, but probably everything I need already. It was so cute to hear her so thrilled about this new item. I kidded her and said……”well, well,……what’s next!?”  Without skipping a beat, she said, “next month….A Crockpot!”…..and she will get it too.:)