Today's a bit cloudy and there's a chill in the air, but most of us know there is spring on the horizon and with it, new beginnings. At least we continue to believe that each year as March roars on. For those in economic crisis, spring can seem an eternity in the future .... if at all. Sometimes that feeling of financial dread is like winter dragging on ... cold and lonely. I'm talking about one single mother I've met who is employed full time, boasts a college degree, but with skills that by today's standards are limited, even dated. The past year has been a step down for her, trading a large home in a comfortable suburb for an apartment that is comfortable, but not quite home. There are nights when going to the grocery store means carrying in $5.00 cash and hoping to feed the family for a few days. This is the mother who neglects her own health at times to cover the kids, owns up to a pair of broken teeth, who laughs at the idea of spending a couple thousand dollars on root canals. This is the mother who scrounges for change to put gas in the car, who once drove a minivan with a cushy DVD player and typically spent February and early March planning the annual family vacation. Life back then wasn't grand, it was normal. But looking back, it was taking time and money for granted, a lesson well-learned. But to talk to her today, enough is enough. This is the mother who doesn't quite qualify for government assistance, yet receives no child support and falls asleep each night with the next looming bill payment on her mind, waking to the same grim reality. She's anxious for a new job, but worried that her credit history isn't worthy of a new employer. Interview clothes are in short supply. The eager "new shoe shopping" of past seasons is on hold. That's not a fashion statement she's dying to make either, just a much-needed component of the interview ensemble. But the family needs food and detergent and school supplies that were once taken so for granted. This was the mom who was among the first to donate crayons and notebooks at the start of each school year, who now sheds a tear when the news stories of those in need are hitting too close to home. Spring is coming, really? She'd be hard to convince.