The Things That Really Matter

I came across this article by Pete Langr, Budgeteer News and it reminded me of the things that really matter to me: http://www.duluthbudgeteer.com/articles/index.cfm?id=23208

I sent the author an email with a little story about my upbringing:

Mom & Dad bought their first house and immediately began to have a water shortage with the well. Bath's growing up were a big pot of water heated on the stove and a cold one to follow. This was Erie PA and always cold - I never had more than 2" of water in the tub (you can imagine I took as few baths as possible) I took my first shower around 16 at a friends house.

My father had 6 different wells drilled but to no avail. The majority of my life my father worked 3rd shift at a Plastic shop and my mother was a house wife. They never incurred debt and God only knows how they afforded it, but they did.

My mother died in 1999 and in 2000 the township said they were going to put in waterlines. Of course there was cost involved but my father was determined to have water in his house.

One of the last conversations I had with him before he passed in 2002 was in regard to water. He could barely get the words out and chocked back tears while he said "I just wish your mother were here to see this" and he collapsed into my arms.

My furnace also continues to start.