I live below the poverty line. I live so far below the poverty line that if I were single that I would still qualify for some assistance. Even were I not physically disabled. Having said that, I am physically disabled and I am married. I’m not just married, but am the father of 5. I was not always disabled, but perhaps if I had more foresight I would have seen it coming; either way, it is here. My wife cannot work outside the home, for reasons that I will not discuss, but is a writer and working on novels. We pay token rent to a loved one for use of their home, and they are good to have us. I don’t say any of this for pity, I am just trying to paint an accurate picture. The point is that by the world’s standards, I am poor.
I choose to look at it another way. My life is full of friends and family. My wife helps care for me, when I am unable to take care of something myself. I have 3 boys 15, 16, and 19. and twin girls who are turning 11 next month. My 19 yr old is turning into a good man, and is soon leaving to serve a religious mission for 2 years, not because he needs to, but because he truly believes that that is a way for him to serve others and God. My 16 yr old is autistic, but is one of the most kind hearted people that you could hope to meet. He recently was asked, and went to preference dance with a cute gal, life is giving back to his kind heart. My 15 yr old is… well ADHD, but 15… so, a teenager. Still, he listens to his parents, sort of… ok he’s an adventure, but he has a great sense of humor. The girls, though twins, are not identical, and most definitely possessed of hugely different personalities, yet they are each others best friend, and always have the other one’s back. We have a place to live, and friends that like to come over to visit and play games. There are many wants that we don’t have, but we have what we need, and I can’t help but smile at the many blessings we receive.
Basically, we are not poor, we are fabulously wealthy, but it is a wealth that no accountant can manipulate on a ledger, no government can tax, and no thief would be able to fence. I am in simple terms rich beyond words.
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