"I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it."

Wonderful quote, Merry! 

I've been thinking a lot lately about my parents, who told us stories of growing up in the "Great Depression."  My mother and her siblings ate nothing but cottage cheese sandwiches for weeks on end, as that was all the family could afford. They lived with relatives, 5 kids in one bed, after my grandfather lost his job and their home.

Still, she said repeatedly, "We were happy. We were no different than everyone else. We didn't have many things, but we were loved, and taught to dwell on the blessings that did come our way."

The saddest thing about the current state of the world is not that economics are in a tailspin, but that "we, the people" are allowing it to impact how we feel about ourselves.

Stand tall - think good thoughts.