This time of year often makes me stop and reflect on family, our current status/situation and our happiness/love/treatment of each other. My wife and I live a great life - we have a small, but comfortable house. We are healthy and blessed to have an amazing two year old son who attends a wonderful, safe and convenient preschool. But, like most families today, we both work to pay our bills. We live in a Los Angeles suburb and pay a lot more for a tiny house - nearly double what other people pay throughout the country for a house nearly twice or even three times the size of ours. My wife watches HG TV and often shows me clips of amazing houses in Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska, and many other states - and it's gotten us thinking. Should we move? Should one of us work, live in a nice house, meet nice neighbors and not be slaves to our mortgage? Live a life where one of us stays home with our little one - even if it means no professional sports teams? But then we look at the economy and wonder if we have no right to complain since we both actually have jobs. In fact, we actually wonder if this economy is the new reality the Sunday pundits say it is? Is it safer and smarter for both of us to remain employed even though we are stressed out beyond belief? I wish I had some answers, but I don't. In fact, I'm hoping some of you do. I'm curious to hear what other parents have done. Did you have a similar conversation with your spouse? Did you actually move for a better quality of life? If yes, how has it worked out?
I am so excited to have found your blog. We, too live in Pasadena - and are constantly toying with the idea of moving. A move, however would mean we move away from family.
ReplyDeleteThis debate comes up about every 6-8 weeks. We weigh the fact that we would have a bigger home (and one not built in the 30s!) less than 1/2 the mortgage and undoubtably meet some great people. BUT - it comes at the cost of moving away from family. And we've decided that living near family is growing more rare these days, and it is a gift that we need to nurture and cherish!
I don't work - my husband does work very hard - it does involve great sacrifice to live on one income, but the blessings have been rich, and we've received many small confirmations along the way assuring that we are in the right place, and doing the right thing for our little family.
What a great conversation starter to round out the end of 2009 and start 2010.
LOVED your post about Roy's - just talked with my husband, and I think we'll treat ourselves to that tonight! Thank you!!
Thanks for the comment! I think the important thing is that through life, we can make these choices and there is no right or wrong. Either way, you will find an experience out of it. the important thing is that as long as you are with your immediate family, you can conquer anything.
ReplyDeleteThanks again for the post and I hope you enjoyed Roys!