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My parents grew up during the Depression. My paternal grandfather was able to find some work, but my maternal grandparents struggled, so at one point, they had to “go on relief” (that was the term back then).

My mother often spoke of the surprise inspections — how the inspectors went through everything in the house looking for some indication that the family was collecting assistance fraudulently. Once, am inspector found a new dress Grandma had made for my mother. The inspector thought it must have been bought at some high-priced store. Grandma had a heck of a time trying to explain that she had made the dress out of scraps of material and whatever she could find for buttons and accents.

The inspector didn't believe her, but he couldn't prove anything, so eventually he dropped the matter. But my mother said these inspections were humiliating. I think they scarred her in some way. When I was growing up, there were some hard times. My mother would go to great lengths to keep us afloat financially. She never wanted to have to go on government assistance ever again. I think some of her penny pinching has rubbed off on her children.