fifty cents

There's a tall tale that has followed Brandon for almost 12 years. Legend has it that when we were first married Brandon paid a visit to his favorite store, the Salvation Army, and walked out after purchasing a single t-shirt having paid $0.50 cents by check. The story goes on to say that this very same check bounced at the bank and accrued a $25.00 returned check fee making Brandon's new-to-him Indian print tee officially the most expensive t-shirt ever purchased at the Salvation Army! Well, let me just go on record as saying that this urban legend, this tall tale Brandon can't escape is 100%, without a doubt TRUE!!!! I'll never EVER forget it!!!! In fact, long after that t-shirt was wearable in public as it was worn to its last thread, I still refused to throw it away because it not only brought back memories of such a hilarious moment in our lives but also because it cost so stinking much! Ha!

Brandon and I got married very young. I was 19 and Brandon was barely 20. I wouldn't trade our decisions for the world and, in fact, I love that we have literally grown up together. We are the best of friends. However, getting married so young was the definition of on the job training. Neither of us had ever lived on our own. We went straight from mama's house to the married house. We started out together with our first jobs, our first bank accounts and our first budgets. Looking back over 12 years of marriage it has been an unbelievable adventure learning to live life together but some of those lessons came the hard way. A.K.A. the legendary "Salvation Army lesson" told above. Is it horribly embarrassing that we bounced a check for fifty cents?? Absolutely!! But it taught us a lesson and gives us a HILARIOUS story to tell. 

This summer I passed on this life lesson learned the hard way AND mine and Brandon's undying love for the Salvation Army to our boys. When I tried to explain to Ash and Maddox what the Salvation Army was they couldn't comprehend it so I summed it up by telling them that it is basically a "garage sale store" and I think that's the best way to say it. I hate that people might be too proud to shop at a secondhand store. There are wonderful treasures to be found! I have many tops from secondhand stores and during my kids first trip we found Ash this nearly new pair of dress sandals for only FIFTY CENTS!!!! An ironic nod to our first married purchase of the same amount so many years ago. This time I was able to confidently hand my fifty cents to the Salvation Army cashier knowing that these shoes would cost just that, fifty cents, and nothing more. Sometimes life comes full circle when you least expect it...and I'm so glad it does.