My Little Piece of Paradise
11 years later, I still have a hard time even looking at a Burger King Junior Whooper. But here I present you a replica of my very own mansion. Bought and leased with my very own tears, grit & determination.
When I first reported to my duty station, I was still pretty much mac & cheese broke. Unfortunately, Military housing didn’t have a house ready for me yet, but they did offer some discounted army on-base hotel lodging. So Dan and I took them up on that.
Honestly, we weren’t expecting that additional expense, so we had to get creative with what we could eat.
In those days, 😝 You could buy a junior whopper burger for $1.00. So we splurged bought 25 that was one whopper a piece for breakfast and one for dinner. That would get us through the week.
Needless to say, I don’t really visit Burger King much these days.
Finally, I got a call that our house was ready) I remember walking through the entryway of our section of the fourplex with absolutely nothing other than a couple of green rucksacks, my laptop, and a blanket.
At that moment, I would have told you it was a mansion because that is what it was to me.
I camped and slept on the living room floor with a blanket and a pillow. It would be a few weeks before Dan & our daughters would officially co-habit in our new family home.
We did our best to make it homie by piecing together some odds and ends passed down to us.
It wasn’t perfect and definitely not fancy in we used milk crates for tables kind of way.
Fully embracing my hillbilly roots through that season. 😜
But I always remember the tears of gratitude that I shed into that carpet - this place meant more than just a roof over our heads. It was the symbolism of the fears I'd faced, the nights I laid alone, determined to become more than what I was.
I felt proud the day my daughters walked through the door. After months and months of not being able to provide or be with them, I had finally given them a home.
It wasn’t long after that I’d be packing for the inevitable,
my deployment to Afghanistan….
Upon my return home, my daughters were experiencing separation anxiety.
We were still very challenged financially. In addition, my marriage was in shambles.
At the risk of once again losing it all,
I don’t always remember all my prayers, but I remember praying in bed, asking Him for help, and sending me a lifeboat.
And He heard that prayer.
He showed up in the least likely way with a solution that would change the trajectory of our future forever…
To be continued…
#grittoglory
#profitsforyourpassion
