That Thomas Paine was really on to something. I was reading a little story about the Revolutionary War with my seven year old yesterday and it quoted his famous words. They rang particularly true of today's economic climate, as well as all trying times, whether they be within a family, community, business, or simply within yourself.
"These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country. But he that stands it now now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman . . . The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph . . . What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly. It is dearness only that gives everything its value."
My husband works with all of his brothers and his father in real estate development and construction. And, until recently, we owned a car dealership together. It would be no secret that the economic crisis has had a huge impact on our business and thus, our family. But these words and the sentiment behind them are ennobling. How grateful I am that we have remained a cohesive group with a deep sense of commitment to each other.
