As a child born during the depression I remember hearing sage advice being spewed forth all around me.  I also remember my mother preparing food for any homeless person who would knock on our door.  It was a peculiar time.  My father had a job, and in his days off he would buy lumber, etc. and work on a house he had started to build.  No credit cards then!  By 1938 he had finished a second house (both houses without mortgages) and we had moved.  I thought nothing of it then but in the past years I have thought over and over again about his hard work and his ability to "make do", "fix up","not go into debt", "pay as you go", etc.  I feel blessed to have absorbed so much from him, and have lived accordingly.  During the first recession I remember him saying to me "if it feels too good to be true it probably isn’t" and "when you think you are skiing down the run too fast the next thing you know there will be an avalanche".  Simple words from a lovely man who didn’t even know if I was listening. I have lived by those words and have felt the ski run but have never faced an avalanche.

There is not one life that is not challenged at one moment or another, the difference between each and every one is whether or not we as human beings are capable of rising to the occasion. Some of us do, and what becomes even more interesting than the adversity is being punished if we do, because by doing so, we only make the counterparts even worse looking. In short, rising to the occasion leaves us with more challenges that we hav in the first place, because very few are capable of doing so. Punished for carrying burdens with grace is a considerable sin.  

I’m with Candice.  The only people who see blessings in adversity seem to be those who are not hit by the adversity but just looking on.  Much easier to admire the way others handle adversity and talk about the blessings than to be the one trying to figure out a way forward to an impossible situation.  And, sorry, Liz, but I doubt that you are part of the middle class.  The definition I’ve seen for middle class says it’s an income of between $25K and $100K a year.  That’s a very big range but somehow I bet your income exceeds that amount, just as all the others with pictures on the top of this site.  Interesting, accomplished women all, but definitely not middle class.

Are there blessings to be received through adversity?  I can only agree with those who say blessings are only perceived by those not in the midst of adversity.  It is only after a family has overcome the adversity, then they might perceive some blessings received from their ordeal.

Adversity is defined as hardship, misfortune or perhaps a state of difficulty.  Some Americans "fighting through these difficult times" would perhaps say that there lives have been turned inside out or that they are living in Hellish times especially if they have faced or are facing a loss of income or a loss of their home or a loss of their company. 

More jobs will be loss before this recession is over.  My hopes and prayers are with all the families who will lose much before they can recover.   

Adversity:  a great equalizer.

My dears, I belong to a silent group that has been relatively untouched by current economic conditions.  We are ones who have not changed our lifestyles much, but are careful not to appear ostentatious as to draw the ire of those who have different fortunes than ours.

By enlarge, we are self made people who were risk appropriate with our investments and see current circumstances as more of an opportunity than a challenge.

But we remain quite, as I said, dahlings, so as not to draw fire.  Most of us are increasing our charitable contributions to the myriad of those who ask.

 

I believe in the silver lining especially in a recession.  It teaches us about the important things in life like: family, friends and community.  Culminated with a positive outlook from a new president the world is abound for us. 

In adveristy it is said we see our true self, I am paraphrasing someone.  It teaches us the expanse in our lives is just that: big, wide and open for us and it has nothing to do with money.   Have a wonderful day.

I don’t think adversity is a blessing. By definition, it really isn’t, but my husband and I have faced adversity together and undoubtedly will again. Our relationship is the blessing that allows us to face adversity with confidence. My husband, our two kitties, our little dog, and our happy home is what matters. 

We are frugal people and we live without luxuries many people consider necessities. I may be laid off in the next few weeks. If that happens, we will have to tighten up our budget a bit, but we’ll do fine until I can find another job. Our cars are paid off, our mortgage is low, and we don’t mind watching Boston Legal reruns on our 13" TV. If I can’t find another job right away, I can do freelance work to supplement our income as needed. I’ve had my own home business before. I can turn it back on easily. Our depression-era grandparents taught us the importance of being able to do a lot of things, of being resourceful, and how to live well beneath our means. 

I feel sorry for people who have a lot of money and never learned to use it properly. How many stories have we read about people who used to have six-figure incomes, but who spent/squandered every dime of it and so were left with nothing but huge debts when the job disappeared? It’s a shame, and it didn’t have to be that way. 

Upside of my situation:

I quit my job and sold my house in NC over a year ago to move to CT.  I had promised my family I would move back.  After a romantic breakup, heart surgery, and my company talking about outsourcing (I am an IT professional) I decided to make the move.

Confident I was very marketable I got an apartment.  Unemployment, bills, depression, etc. I had to break my lease and move to Mom’s house.

Then my amazing army of siblings and mother kicked into gear.  They built a shed to empty the garage.  They fixed up the garage to make it pleasant for me.  They cleaned the cellar for storage.  A garden area was prepared for planting.  They moved me to Mom’s yesterday.

A small refrigerator, carpet, screens, new window, a min wage job possibility from my niece ( I just started another part time job at a pizza place) and plans for more electrical, Internet, and sunlight to adorn my new space was discussed.  Then, a welcome home picnic with burgers, salads and beer.

Am I blessed?  I lost stuff, money, and my bearings.  I gained an amazing understanding of what the love of my family means.  It was love I had underestimated.  I realize now that what I am gaining is something I had been missing for a long time.  The job, money etc will come with time.  My family was always there just waiting to show me how much they loved me.