Bartering for Hope

Maria counted every dollar twice. Prices rose faster than her paycheck at the diner,

and the math never worked out. She hid the worry well, especially from

her daughter, Elena, who always asked for extra syrup on her pancakes

and believed her mother could fix anything. One evening, Maria opened her

pantry and stared at the half bag of flour, the two jars of homemade jam she

had made last summer, and the basket of lemons her neighbor Mrs. Ruiz had given her.

The pantry looked sparse, but those jars and lemons sparked an idea.

She walked next door and knocked. “Mrs. Ruiz, would you trade