Replanting my roots

I am filled with gratitude.
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This money, the total at the bottom of the pic, is the MOST I've spent on groceries since October of 2015.
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Nine months of little more than maybe a few bucks to get one thing needed in the moment. Not actual food to cook and prepare.
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But, I haven't starved. Why? Because someone else has been buying.
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Here's the deal: I'm 36, and live at home with my parents. (How's that for a pickup line?) But, today, that's beginning to change. I bought myself groceries. And I'm only going to go up from here.
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Long story short, I've struggled since the economic crash. Living paycheck to paycheck, scraping by, and being blessed with amazing friends who aided me were the only ways I survived. I managed. 2015 was a whole different story. I could no longer live comfortably. What I was making couldn't pay my bills, much less my exorbitant student loans. My choice got down to who got to eat: myself or my dog....and Ginger won every time. And then, I just couldn't anymore. I got behind. I began to drown. I cried a lot. I picked up the phone.
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Asking to come home was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I was humbled to ask then. I am still humbled by my decision now. I was "supposed" to be all these things by 36....married, kids, good job....and here I was, dropping my suitcases at the threshold of my youth with none of those items at all, except for my fur kid 🐶. Luckily, my parents took me in and have helped me to rebuild my life piece by piece.
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The struggle has been very real. The late fall and all of winter was hard. I was so angry. I gave away so many physical possessions. I sold things I swore I'd never sell. I was so depressed. I was so hurt. I felt betrayed. I felt cheated. I felt robbed.
Job searching was hard, especially with said mindset. But, God and His angels blessed me with an amazing opportunity at a great company. They saw my potential even when I couldn't see it in myself.
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And I won't squander it. In fact, I've met some amazing people who've made me a better person. They've helped me realize I've still got dreams. And I can still achieve them. Sure, I'm still paycheck to paycheck. I still have my debts. But, I am so grateful for every dollar I receive AND spend. Because I know more is on its way.
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I am so thankful for this turn of events. It's not been easy, but it's been mine. And maybe this was part of MY plan all along (to spin off on a Miranda Lambert song)---to go replant my roots at home to figure out I had wings to fly.