For the month of November, I’m going to try to include gratitude in all my posts (and post every day.)
Today I’m thankful that most people have access to affordable health care. Big Al and I have never had to worry about health care since he reentered the Air Force. That was one of the reasons he stayed in the military for 20 years – to get decent health care for life. It was not always that way. When we first married, we were both students and off any benefits from our parents. Of course, I got pregnant, so we paid for our first son on the installment plan. When he was two months old, I was diagnosed with gall bladder problems, and thanks to the intervention of my parents with our old family doctor, I was treated, including major surgery and a three-week stay in the hospital. Nevertheless, we paid my father back over three years. I’m grateful that he was able to pay those expenses and carry the loan for us, but consequently we started off several thousand dollars in the hole, and were never able to completely make it up. We eventually saved enough money to buy houses, and to retire, but knowing the time value of money makes me realize that’s one of the main reasons we always were a little short, and living just at the edge of being comfortable.
Now my kids are grown with kids of their own, and they’ve gone through periods of unemployment (as have most middle-aged people). During all those times, the thing I worried about most was their lack of health care insurance. So I thank God for the Affordable Care Act for all my loved ones.