This summer we had the hardest time financially that I can remember having since I left home. I was actually unemployed for nearly two months, a terrifying two months. I am incredibly lucky I found a job quickly, and to boot its one I really really love.

Just when I became unemployed, my husbands hours were cut by 8 a week, that’s a significant difference. I panicked and have spent the entire summer waiting for the house of cards to fall.

It didn’t. We made it work, barely at times. I budgeted religiously, made detailed grocery lists and can tell you we have lived a week and a half on $70 in groceries. Its been a real scrape.

This is not a unique story. You have one just like it, others have stories far worse. The economy has taken a hard hit and those of us earning money are wary of spending it.

The government talks about reforming healthcare and I understand that its important, trust me I did customer service in a major hospital call center, some changes are long overdue.

I think the time and money investment could be better spent getting America back to work. How can someone worry about their healthcare if they have no job to pay for it? I think the unemployed masses would agree food and shelter should prolly come first.

I’m disappointed our government doesn’t realize this, but that’s to be expected isn’t it. At least we know Washington is listening to us somewhat about the healthcare extreme makeover and not just passing any old legislation.

How have you been holding up in these hard times?

It’s no secret that I enjoy Eminem’s music, I like Eminem for the same reason I like Kid Rock and really any kind of rap, they’re both cocky as it gets.

The difference between the two is also the reason I am more fond of Eminem, we’ve had a similar upbringing. Kid Rock had a normal upbringing, nice childhood, not so for our friend Marshall.

The songs to his mother filled with anger, I can relate to, we both came up feeling like a burden, feeling unwanted and worse, mistreated. What that does to people like Eminem and to me, who were both parents at a young age, is make us determined parents.

It’s made us both the kind of parents that try to be there and be honest with their kids, not fill them with bullshit or give them an unrealistic world view. Em has more money than me but I think we both spoil our children, though my son would tell you he’s deprived, that’s just what teenagers do.

Back to the teachings of Marshall Mathers though, I’ve learned you can’t have success without some adversity.

Adversity is a breeder of desire, will and determination…or in some cases, defeat. But you never hear from or about those guys.

In my life at some point, like most adolescents I decided I didn’t want to be like my mother. I was pretty sure it wouldn’t be that hard because I had such a good example of what NOT to be, but I was wrong.

It is hard to make ends meet in the “real” world and sometimes, that’s the best that we can do. But because of the adversities you and I have faced in years past we know that the situation we’re in today will be different than a year from now, and even moreso in five.

I don’t know about you but I’ve done nothing but climb and claw my way up this “hill of life” since the beginning, from the hole I started in..hard times don’t mean anything to me and if anything, they serve as a time for me to gather strength, stock more ammunition and prepare for the onslaught to come. Hard times should be that way for you as well, after all, what better to do with that kind of downtime than regroup?

Adversity is welcome because it reminds me how I got this far, how I went from nothing to holding it down and learning everything I know the hard way. I can walk with my head held high because I am self made, I’m a scrapper and I’m willing to jump in the fight at any time.

I’ll be one tough act to follow, will you?