As a child I was not exposed to very many stressors.  We had a roof over our heads, food on the table, and were not living in a violent or volatile environment.  I did, however, have to deal with the stress surrounding divorce.  While each of my parents have now moved on to successful relationships and are able to share in special occasions for their grandchildren, things were not always so civil.  Learning how to interact with each of them individually rather than as a whole was a challenge and I’m quite sure that I failed on a number of occasions.  Failure is a rather effective teacher and over time I learned my place in each of their lives.  In addition, regular visits, cards, letters and phone calls were set up or exchanged so that the relationships we had were kept in tact.  While I do not know my father as in depth as my mother, I still have some great memories of him playing an important part of my childhood and I have learned a great deal about the work that all relationships take. 

My husband’s family is originally from the island of Oahu in Hawaii.  While the US Air Force relocated them years ago, the culture still runs deep within them.  Since leaving the islands many years ago, I wondered why, with the Vietnam conflict over, they never returned.  The answer was astoundingly financially focused.  The cost of living is incredibly high and most opportunities for employment are based on the tourism industry.  Both of these variables have helped to create Hawaii’s problems with poverty.  While doesn’t even come close to the highest poverty rate in the country, the lack of wages that can provide for all of a persons needs, can keep the cycle of poverty moving from generation to generation.  If you can not meet your basic needs, how can you possible save any money for a “rainy day” or an emergency.  In order to help combat this, large organizations like Meals on Wheels, the United Way, the YWCA, the YMCA and Habitat for Humanity are getting involved in the urban areas.  Legislators are also trying to work for a higher minimum wage in hopes that higher wages will help people afford the cost of living.