A bit of perspective...

Late last night as I was balancing our budget it quickly became clear that our recent bout with doctors offices, x-rays, stitches, shoes for five growing children, school supplies etc., has left our bank account looking a little more slim than we would like.

I woke up this morning feeling really sorry for myself. It felt like those plans for our dream house were taking far too long to materialize. How long is a girl supposed to happily feed an army in a kitchen that is barely wider than the span of her arms? Surely I have a right to whine just a little. I need a new kitchen and a bigger house to go with it, right?

About that time I got a phone call totally out of the blue from Felita Benally, Rustin's Indian placement sister. She lives in Chinle, AZ which is right in the center of Navajo Nation. She just called to say hello. We visited her home and her kids (5) when we lived in Page, AZ. Very humbling. She lives next to her grandma who speaks no English--only Navajo, as she weaves blankets for a living. The grandma, by the way, still asks (in Navajo) 'I wonder how big that little blue eyed girl is now?' (Jenna!).

As we visited about life in general, Felita told me she still lives in her little one room hogan. She has no running water and no indoor bathroom. I mean seriously. She heats her place with a coal stove. She has five children in a house not much bigger than my living room. She told me how she wishes she could have a sink full of dirty dishes because then she would have a sink. Not even a big fancy kitchen or a dishwasher. Just a sink with running water.

It was probably not a coincidence that I got that phone call this morning. Someone's watching out for me. I think I'll go wash my dishes.