With 39 kids calling me, visiting me, or living with me I have a considerable amount of demands placed upon me. I also have more than an unusual amount of joy given to me by these same children.

I read Julie Crowley’s blog about replenishing oneself, and I’m often asked if I get any “me” time. The answer is yes, but I use that time in the gardens or reading late at night. I almost never read fiction anymore, this from a former media specialist, I now prefer non-fiction books that will pump me up.

I subscribe to Success Magazine and read every single word in it; I read it even more voraciously than garden periodicals. I highlight and underline and reread it many times.

I learn so much and I find the reinforcement for my beliefs in the hard work ethic, climbing back up from setbacks, and the inspiration and motivation that humans crave.

Just as I am often dismayed by our TV watching, VH-1, Game Cube mentality, where people demand to be entertained even at the expense of their dreams, so too am I blown away by the drive, zeal and gusto that is evident in very successful people. Each month in this magazine I read about folks who’ve overcome such odds, faced financial setbacks and catastrophes, yet maintained their stamina and pulled through to become millionaires. They simply didn’t quit.

And isn’t that a metaphor for what life’s all about?

No one has it easy.

Last night as I was figuring out how to make it to the end of a 31 day month on a 30 day retirement salary, I projected several scenarios on my Excel spreadsheet. We can do it, here’s how and I explain it to whatever kid of mine is hanging on me at the moment. They need to see that this can work through careful planning.

We budget precisely. Reading last month’s issue of Success I culled three points from an article to teach to my older kids who have paychecks

1) Planning forces one to roll back spending to reach financial goals. Not surprisingly, it also gives one a better shot at becoming richer.
2) People who planned ‘a lot’ for retirement wound up twice as wealthy as those who did the least.
3) One can reduce the odds of a financial meltdown by carefully tracking expenses, reigning in spending and debt, and freeing up cash.

Three important DUHS that I am working on with an 18 year old daughter and a 20 year old son. Both have blown a year of earnings with little to show. I did the math for both, look what you’ve wasted, imagine the interest you could have earned on what you shot into a black hole. Looking at the figures, both were appalled. I pray they learn from these mistakes.

“Kids, shake off the consumer mentality that is forced upon us by the media,” I’d suggested. “That’s not the key to happiness. Financial peace of mind is infinitely preferable.”

Knowing that they had so little to show after such a free spending year, I am expecting to see more financial maturity this year. Growing up is not easy, it’s harder still for the older adopted child. I believe there are more emotional pitfalls along the way, challenges are huge, but again the rewards are so sweet.