Little Drummer Boy and I have struggled our entire married lives in just about every way: financially, emotionally, religiously, you name it. It's like nothing EVER comes easy for us. EVER. Just when one sorta good thing happens, something a whole lot worse happens and ruins our optimism. We made HUGE sacrifices when we became JWs, then suffered for 14 years under borg control with the typical guilt and exhaustion that comes along with it. Then we struggled to break away from the borg, but we had to do it at the right time because LDB's job was subcontracted from an elder in our congregation. Once he was ready to quit, we DA'd. What a huge relief it was to be free of the nagging elder visits and phone calls; the looking over my shoulder when I was shopping for Easter candy so my son could have his first Easter egg hunt at age 8. LDB enrolled in college before we DA'd. I enrolled in distance learning college to further my nursing degree.
The financial struggles are the worst. I don't mean to sound materialistic, but money DOES buy happiness, at least to some degree. We are so financially strapped, and we have been ever since a JW couple took advantage of us when we were very new "in the truth". They literally took us for thousands of dollars. We trusted them; and we're still paying for that mistake to this day-literally. Since we're trying to better our lives thru education, even though we both work, there is just never enough money. I'm not talking about not having enough to buy extra things or go on vacation. I'm talking about groceries and the electric bill.
We haven't been on a vacation since we were married 13 1/2 years ago. I'm not exaggerating. No vacation for 13 1/2 years. We were hoping to be able to go on a little vacation when LDB finishes school this May, but no. There's no money. We kinda feel trapped. Our lives consist of work, school, laundry, dishes, helping with homework, fall in to bed exhausted, wake up the next day and do it all over again. No end in sight for now.
Now don't you all worry about us. We'll get through it. Thank goodness we at least don't have the pressure of the borg on top of it all.
Thanks for listening to my whining. Good night!