Back in 1980 Kool-Aid was pretty simple, maybe there were five or six flavors then. Mom’s favorite was tropical punch, mine was cherry. The two tasted almost identical but I didn’t care, at eight years old I was just happy to drink something besides water because it was the only sweet thing mom let me have.

At the grocery store I think a package used to cost about 35 cents. I remember because of the trouble we had finding enough money the day we scrounged up the change to buy a single packet. What I don’t remember is how we managed to get by after mom lost her job as an operator at the telephone company. But we did manage. She managed.

There was a time when I was ashamed of growing up poor with my mom. How self-righteous of me to feel negative about it, as if the past was supposed to be different. But I matured, and now those memories are inspirations.

Worry has no meaning. Time is the only currency. Enjoy it while you can.