Bright Burning Bulb
Quick little story about a tiny little elephant lamp...
.
Five years ago I was a BROKE single mother. When I say broke I mean, broke city. I was on food stamps, living in an income based, two bedroom apartment with two kids. Crying daily about how to make ends meet. I eventually got a sort of decent job, in the media department at a local company. When I say “sort of decent” I mean, I was still broke, but I was actually able to pay bills, with a little crying and a lot of money maneuvering.
.
One day I was in Walmart, maybe seven weeks into that job, and ran across this little lamp. And I wanted it. So bad. Now mind you, this lamp was $7, but in the (almost) year since I had separated and been living on my own, I hadn’t bought myself a single thing. And, at that time, seven dollars was a LOT of money. But I threw caution to the wind and I bought this silly little nightlight lamp, that no one could ever “need”, but a broke, tired, sometimes desperate single mother wanted.
.
I burned the bulb in this lamp in my apartment bedroom every single night. Every time I looked at it, I smiled. I put it right next to where I put on my makeup, so every morning that I woke up for that crappy job, I saw my lamp. Eventually I got a really great job, and again, I woke up every morning to that bulb burning bright. After that job, I got off the food stamps, then I quit that job and went full time with my own business, then moved out of that tiny little apartment, into a cute little rental with the man I love, and from there we bought a house. In each of those houses, and each of those seasons this lamp has burned 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In this current season he serves as a nightlight in the bathroom across the hall from a certain blonde little girls bedroom.
.
This little seven dollar lamp, has stayed lit, and it’s guided me. I had to have it. I don’t regret it. And every day I look at it while brushing my teeth and I remember the struggles and the triumphs and the tears and the wins. $7 and five years 🐘✨