If you're a longtime reader of APOG, you know that my husband decided to go back to school four years ago. That decision has lead us down some tight paths financially, and I'm sure you've read a few "woe is me" posts along the way. But when the money gets tight, the life lessons start flooding in, and I can't help but be glad for the things I've learned.

1. Beans are good, and cheap, and filling, no matter what that song says.
2. I hold my breath when someone opens a Christmas present I've made, and their reactions are the ones I treasure the most.
3. Make no room for envy in your heart, because it will steal it all.
4. When someone presses a twenty dollar bill in my hand as I'm leaving, or even a hundred, I am stunned by their generosity. Their gift is more than monetary, because the desire to be generous is contagious.
5. The ability to laugh at circumstances, laugh at myself, makes me rich.
6. Happiness can't be found in the type of car you drive, but humility can. And it's not a bad lesson to learn.
7. The sun still shines if the bills are late. The electricity might not, but it's not fatal, and you keep on breathing.
8. Playing in the park costs nothing. But it makes priceless memories.
9. A husband's love doesn't notice last season's fashions.
10. Dreaming can get you anywhere.

The last one, it sounds corny, doesn't it? So cliche, I realize that. And yet, it's the dreaming that brought us through these years, hopes for the future that eased our path.

Somehow, I just don't feel poor, no matter what my bank account says. I hope that stays with me always, no matter how my wealth is measured.