My family always has Sunday morning brunch. Mom usually cooks something special and Dad prepares the bacon. This weeks, she did biscuits, my favorite Sunday meal. CBS Sunday Morning goes off and Face the Nation comes on. Bob Schiffer starts to interview Jim Geithner about the economy and its problems and the steps to recovery. I suddenly am broken from my trance on the television as I hear my parents arguing.

They are worried about our current financial situation. My father can no longer work, and my mother's current, annual income is below the poverty level. We are not making enough money anymore. Mom's thinks that it's hopeless and that we're going to lose everything. For the last couple years, she's been pessimistic about everything because of it. She hates her current job for reasons other than meager wage, and she's ashamed she's made nothing of herself, despite the fact she got a BS degree. She's always worked hard and has gotten little back from it. Her negativity on life is understandable.

Dad's different. He was born and grew up in the poor South of the Post-war Boom. He had very little growing up, but he's certainly a better off than he was then. He's worked hard and always been optimistic about the future, mostly because he's only ever moved. He had been working for the last two years, despite his deteriorating health, in order to make money for the family. He's 57, with arthritis spread throughout his body. He recently had to have the bones in his wrist fused to ease the pain, and he's been in a cast for the past few weeks now. Despite all his problems and all our shared problems, he thinks we can find a way to solve our own financial problem and not lose our home. His only issue is that he can't stand Mom's negativity. Now they fight almost everyday about everything because of it. Mom's more short-tempered from the stress of her life and our situation, and Dad can't stand her negativity. Almost every day, he says that if she keeps acting like this, he's going to leave her, because he's had enough.

They've been arguing like this for the last year, but now it's much worse. It's louder and more frequent. They're not trying as hard to keep me and my sister out of the loop. I really don't know how to feel about all this.

That sucks, and I know how you feel. I know something that helps me is knowing I'm going to be away from it all sooner than later. Just 4 more months and I'm off on my own at Duquesne. So you've just got one more year to put up with it. Hopefully once the economic crisis is over and done with and you (and possible siblings, dunno if you're an only child) are in college they will have more time to work on their relationship and will be relieved of some stress. Well, unless you're academically a genius they will be in quite a large amount of debt when you go to college, but that's a year from now. Hopefully Barack's gonna pull us out of this shithole and everything will be back to status quo. Just try to be optimistic, telling yourself that this won't last forever. And when they are arguing, try to distract yourself. Do something relaxing, get out of the house, shoot some aliens, listen to loud music, etc.

Hope that helped, at least a little.

Well, my GPA's pretty good. I might get a scholarship, and since we're not making money anymore, I might be eligible for a grant.

I'm just hoping my parents can take it for another year. They don't get to escape from these problems like I can.

Man, shit is tough. Bad things happen to good people, and the reality of the economic situation, is that we're all suffering. Some more than others, such as yourself. The crisis has caught up to another American family, and it's really a sad thing to see. Just keep your head in, tell your dad he should see about getting disability. And remember, if things get too bad, don't let your family be proud, apply for welfare. It's why it's their.

Just don't lose hope man, and keep talking to me.

As bad as your situation is, mine is kinda worse. My family owns a restaurant, and despite the 2 years none stop work they have put in, we are not pulling any money out. We can barely pay the bills as is. And while your mother is making crap money, my family is making NOTHING, none at all, we are at zero percent income. And if we ever do get in the black on a day where the gross income is higher then we spent to get there, then it goes right back into the restaurant. Also its only ever like 7 dollars to begin with. So while yours may be "bad" there is always someone out there with worse. Also my parents hate each other and fight daily about anything.

You don't have to tell me that. I know.