It's Heating Up

I was seven months pregnant with Ruby, my second child, in June of 2008. The summer heat had already set in and we had been using our home air conditioning for at least a week or two. Every time we turned it on it would make a horrible noise and the air it was generating just didn't feel as cold as it used to be. We were living on a very tight budget with Adam still in school and me staying at home with the kids. We finally relented and called a repair service to assess the problem. He confirmed our biggest fear-- the unit had to be completely replaced. It was as old as the house (1977) and there was no saving it. Cost to replace it: $3000. We talked about putting it on a credit card, taking out a line of credit on the house, etc but we really did not like either option. Meanwhile, the house was unbearably hot. Horrendously hot. I have an immune disorder which makes me extra sensitive to heat and coupled with pregnancy I was miserable. James, who was two at the time and normally full of energy, would just lay on the floor or the couch too tired and hot to move and trying to conserve his energy. At night he would cry until we stripped him down and placed a fan directly on his nearly naked body. Only then was he able to fall asleep. It was 100 degrees inside and out. Adam's parents mercifully approached us and told us bluntly that they would pay to have the a/c replaced. Their generosity never ceases to amaze me. Adam grew up poor in a family of seven kids. The Christmas they received $10 each from their parents was a good Christmas for them. Adam's mom went back to school about six years ago and now teaches kindergarten. On her teacher's wage, she thinks of herself as being well-off financially and now wants to share her excess with her children. Once the a/c was installed, I went from feeling sick, weak, and fatigued to feeling relief and comfort in knowing that my baby would not be in danger because my body was no longer under extra stress. EVERY time I turn on the a/c, I think of the amazingly generous gift from Adam's parents and I am so grateful EVERY time.