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Well here's a nice heartwarming economic meltdown family scenario for ya: while my 67 year old sister and her 70-ish husband with severe rheumatoid arthritis are watching their own retirement investments disappear, they're also facing the prospect that her in-laws (in their 90's and needing 24/7 nursing home care, one with Alzheimer's, the other with painful neurological problems and a recently broken hip) will not be able to continue paying for their long-term care because their own evaporating retirement investments will be gone in a few more months. The monthly private-pay nursing home bill for the 2 of them is $8000. So the choice will be that they move in with someone in the family *or* place them on the long waiting list for the county nursing home, which is also operating under financial stress. Yes, the economic crisis is such a wonderful thing for bringing families together....
Additionally, a decrease in divorce and separation filings doesn't necessarily translate to people finding a way to work it out and live together. I suspect many are living separately in a state of ambiguous marital legal limbo, waiting for the day when they can make it legally official. I'd also be interested in seeing the statistics on depression and suicide. Homeowners going into foreclosure are in some hard hit regions ending up in homeless shelters that *split* the family apart because the facilities aren't set up to accommodate entire families with children. And I've heard and seen several stories about the tide of beloved family pets flooding animal shelters because their heartbroken owners can't afford to keep them or can't find pet-friendly living arrangements following foreclosure. Yep, the warm family fuzzies just keep radiating from this crisis.
I wish for ME a more positive outlook for the next year. Personally I will pray for you and your family to find a solution to your problems. Please keep in mind we are blessed in many ways even when it is difficult to see where. I hope you will check with your church or religious community and circle of friends to help out. The US is a blessed country and we are a giving nation and I think you need to look for those resources. (That is not only referring to money but those who will help in other ways). Our grandparents and parents made it through the depression and can tell us stories of what sacrifice is--please remember this and try to have a positive outlook.
Commenting by HaloScan
