Getting Real With Sara Haley
It’s true what they say–it’s not about the money in your bank account or the belongings that you possess. It’s about the friends and family that you have around you, that love and care about you.
It’s coming up on a year since I left my husband. My divorce has been long-winded and dramatic. I went from being a stay-at-home mom to a work-from-home mom struggling from paycheck to paycheck. I’m not going to lie, it has been hard for me. Going from a single income married family with two children (my daughter and step-son) to a single mom of one trying to make it on her own was quite the transition. But through it all, I have kept my head held high and have had a positive outlook on everything that has been thrown my direction. Although things have been hard, I have been amazed at the generosity of others.
Getting things together for my own place was difficult. I had taken the bare minimum with me, and I suddenly felt like a college kid headed out on her own with not a single thing to her name. I had even left some essential basics, figuring they would be divvied up sooner or later in the courts. I ended up without a kitchen table, a bed, and a few other “niceties” that I would have enjoyed having, like a couch and a coffee table. But it wasn’t long before offers started coming in. I ended up borrowing a twin bed in order to have a place to sleep. A friend of a friend had a kitchen table to spare, and I was able to have a place to sit with my daughter and eat our meals. Over time, I was slowly able to replace everything. I was able to get a hold of an inexpensive mattress and return the one that I was borrowing come spring. I was able to find the most adorable dining room table at a garage sale for $20, and was able to “re-gift” the other kitchen table to a couple that needed it.
In addition to help with furniture, I have had a lot of friends and family that have been offering things to help out. I am able to swap with friends for “babysitting nights” so I can go out and enjoy an adult evening out without the munchkin and avoiding having to pay a babysitter. I have a number of friends with little girls that provide me with hand-me-down clothes for my daughter. I have family that doesn’t think twice about coming over and sharing a bottle of wine and help me catch up on spring cleaning my apartment. And this last spring, I was able to enjoy a nice two week getaway to Arizona because a friend was nice enough to let me stay at her house the entire time. My daughter and I were able to enjoy a nice little vacation and enjoy a little time away from all the drama of home without having to shell out for food or a place to stay.
I cannot say enough about the generosity and caring nature of my friends and family over this last year. All I have the words to say is “thank you.” Thank you to everyone who has helped me get on my feet and has continued to be there for me when I need them most. I will always look back on these times and remember how amazingly appreciative I was for everyone’s help, and I know that when my friends and family are in their own time of need, I will be one of the first to step up to the plate and give from the heart.
