For many American wage earners, the improved economy has allowed them to catch up and even get ahead this Christmas. According to data produced by the Atlanta Fed, while consumer prices were increasing at an annual rate of 2 percent, wages for the lowest quarter approached 5 percent. This upward growth spurt is higher than at any point in the past several decades and it benefits the middle and lower class workers.

Even when markets and the economy are surging, Democrats play their income inequality or wealth distribution card. Keep in mind that the Democratic leaders in Washington are not exactly hardship cases.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, according to Celebrity Net Worth, is worth $120 million; while Forbes Business says 2020 Democratic contender Bernie Sanders, is worth $2.5 million and owns three homes; and Elizabeth Warren has a net worth of $12 million and owns two homes — a house in Cambridge worth about $3 million and an $800,000 condo in Washington, D.C. (Business Insider).

Another income study released during the summer — “Report on the Economic Well-being of U.S. Households for 2018” — showed many families experiencing substantial gains since 2013. Seventy-five percent of adults say they are either doing “OK” or “living comfortably,” up 12 percentage points from the first study in 2013.

When it comes to coping with emergency expenses, however, Americans are not faring so well. While 61 percent of adults could pay off an unexpected expense of $400 with cash, savings or a credit card in their next payment statement, 27 percent said they would have to borrow or sell something to pay for the expense, and 12 said they would not be able to cover it at all.

Families with children experience more financial stresses. When asked about paying their monthly bills or obligations, 73 percent of families with children at home said they worried about paying at least one monthly bill in the past year compared to 56 percent of families with no children at home.

Millennials are not the savers that their parents and grandparents are or were. A recent survey from the New York Fed found an alarming rise in credit card delinquencies among younger Americans of 90 days or more.

Medical expenses also remain a major financial stress, with one-fifth of adults saying they had unexpected medical bills to pay in the prior year. A quarter of adults said they skipped necessary medical care in 2018 because they were unable to afford the cost.

We found another study that shed some positive light on the American family. Conducted earlier in the year by Brigham Young University and the Deseret News, it showed that while Americans were deeply polarized on national political matters, those divisions dissipated when people were asked about their family lives.

Eighty-five percent said they were the same or stronger than they were two years ago. When it comes to marriage, 52 percent said their own marriage was stronger than two years ago while 40 percent said it was generally the same.

When parents with teenage children were asked about the most important issues facing teens, 53 percent said the overuse of technology was their top concern, followed by bullying (45 percent) and mental health issues (36 percent), ahead of drugs and alcohol.

Democrats were more concerned about bullying, while Republicans were more concerned about family breakdown.

Along with all the statistics, we found examples of some positive, real-life stories that reflects the can-do spirit in many American youth.

A Girl Scout troop in Carmel, Indiana recently faced a dilemma after thieves stole 15 Christmas trees that were to be sold as part of the scouts’ annual fundraiser. Money from the tree sales helped them earn the Gold Award — the highest award in Girl Scouts — and also helped pay for an adventure trip.

The theft jolted their spirits but the setback turned into a learning opportunity and a lesson in how to quickly rise up from disappointment. A GoFundMe page was set up and in a short time the Scouts surpassed their goal of $1,245.

Along with that, the troop ended up selling 60 trees in single day with one law firm alone buying 16 new trees.

Another inspiring Scout story emerged from Cincinnati last Veterans Day. For his Eagle Scout project, Christopher Adam designed an exhibit to honor the 75th anniversary of D-Day and World War II veterans.

Several World War II veterans were honored guests at the presentation when Adam unveiled the bronze statue, which depicts two infantry soldiers attacking the beach head at Normandy.

Adam said he took on the project because he wanted people from his generation to remember what the greatest generation did. Thanks to his initiative, their heroic sacrifices are memorialized for future generations to appreciate.

By Jim Zbick | tneditor@tnonline.com