What is a typical American family doing on the eve of the most scandelous election in history?

Today might be one of those moments in history....you know, where the world is forever changed and so people remember the mundane things you were doing at that exact moment "it" happened.

In a few short hours, the craziest election in the history of the United States will be complete.  The country is divided and some have promised riots and violence if the candidate chosen is unfavorable.  Others have simply vowed to leave the country.  It's a time of unknown.  Reminds me somewhat of the uncertainty of December 1999 when Y2K was all anyone talked about and what everyone worried about.  The collapse of our banking system.  Seems almost laughable now.  You mean we  were worried about the banks?  Seems pretty trivial in comparison.

Tonight I sit typing this as I sit on a heating pad on my broken bed as my kid's gluten free and dairy free pizza cooks in the oven.  It's an easy dinner night, as my back has kept me mostly immobile today.  My house looks like it has imploded, with the contents of my desk overflowing onto the floor, looking like at any moment I could be swallowed alive by it's tide.  From the living room I hear my husband's video game at the usual volume of "loud enough to wake the dead".  It makes for interesting living arrangements when one as myself enjoys the calm and silence, while my significant other hasn't been able to hear well since the war.

I wonder if we are a typical American family.

Unfortunately, I think so.

My husband is a physically disabled vet, with PTSD.  He continues to work full-time so I can homeschool and take care of my adult son with autism.

My chronic health issues, which made me "The Greenbean Girl" for a year, throw a monkey wrench in all I have to accomplish each day, due to my overwhelming family needs along with my very demanding religious obligations.

My life is busy.  And stressful.  But I think most Americans could swap out a comparable thing or two about my life and be in the same boat.

The SS "How do  I make it through today?"

And here we all sit, on the eve of the biggest election, and think....how can I possibly handle life getting worse.

That is not to say I don't count my blessings or that I think I have a terrible life or the worst life.  Not at all.

I just don't know if I can handle more.  More struggles, more trials....

Being Grateful is Not the Same as Being Happy

I've always thought of myself as a pretty grateful person.  Autism has given me a unique perspective of what is truly important in life and disregards things that don't matter in the long run. 
However, it occurred to me this morning, that despite "counting my blessings", I couldn't use the word "happy" to describe myself.  Words like, "worried", "frustrated", "busy", "scattered" are a much better fit.  So why can't I be happy?

I've seen the "Happiness Is a Choice" memes, and I always thought of it as an obvious yet necessary statement to people who had everything but chose to be unsatisfied.  Today it takes on a new  meaning for me.