Financial stress is the absolute worst for families.  Right around the time that my husband and I found out that our five-year old daughter, Clare, would have to have open-heart surgery to correct a congenital heart defect (a medical determination we hoped we wouldn’t receive and did not thoroughly expect), we started experiencing some serious financial strain. Despite having a full work load, I had had no income for over 4 months and the economy was in turmoil.  I heard stories weekly of friends, and friends of friends who seemed “well-off” losing their homes. Continue reading →