The date of my exam was drawing near. I had to find the time to study amid the hours I had to work and attend to my family and house keeping responsibilities, so every moment was precious.

My husband Ray and I planned to simplify our lives by moving to a condo in a 55+ community—just a one-bedroom unit. No more exhaustive house cleaning and yard work. We needed to sell our beloved home, which I felt was blessed from the first moment we looked at it, twenty-five years ago.

Soon after I started a new job managing a portion of a website, the website began generating a lot of extra revenue. As the end of the year approached, my husband and I were trying to decide whether or not I should ask for a raise.

My little boy who has Down Syndrome was ill for the entire week before school was out. He was feeling more and more bored as he gradually felt better, but still not well enough for school. I went into the game room to find it a MESS!