The Elephant in the Room

Can you get some cash or no? Do you have enough gas to make it to payday? Can you get some milk? Are we out of toilet paper? Did you pay satellite? Is the internet off? Does she have lunch money? Did you get my medicine?

The working poor have those questions more often than not. The other day I asked my daughter if she knew what the working poor was. She said “yes, it means you work but have just enough to pay the bills with nothing left over.” I said “true, but many times there isn’t enough to pay all the bills.” I know we aren’t alone in the “working poor world.” It’s frustrating when you fall into this category because there is no help or breaks. This category makes just over the line to receive any assistance but still gets burned up on taxes. This category doesn’t even qualify for reduced kids lunch because it is just a smidge over. (Who can afford almost $3 a day for a kid’s lunch?)  This category makes life difficult because there’s no free groceries, there’s no free healthcare and being sick and missing work isn’t an option.

My husband will often say “everybody’s broke, just on different levels.” He ain’t lying. I used to have a green with envy streak that run down deep to my soul. Thankfully, my jealousy for what others have left me. You may be struggling to pay $500 rent but I promise someone is struggling to pay a $1800 mortgage. You may be struggling to put gas in your beater, but someone in struggling to put gas in their brand new SUV.  You are not the only one that pays a bill knowing the bank is going to charge you $36 because the money wasn’t there. You know that being negative is better than having no power or being stuck on the side of the road out of gas.

This is life for so many of us but guess what? It’s okay!  Yesterday when I told my husband that I hope to hear something about a job this week, he said, “I’ll keep doing what I’m doing and you keep doing what you’re doing, and we’ll be okay.” Yep, we will be okay and you will too. Pull out $20 on payday and go get pizza or go eat with your friends. If I have learned anything it’s this, “$20 won’t make or break you.” I’m realizing everyday that we are all in this together. The working poor isn’t a rare breed. It’s single parents, it’s blue collar workers, it’s teachers, it’s healthcare workers, it’s your friends.  If I have learned anything about the working poor it’s that they are the most giving, caring, loving individuals you’ll ever meet.

So when you see someone and you wonder how in the world they have it all, look no further, they don’t….

It’s just…The Elephant in the Room!