This isn't my story... And yet it is.
My parents have experienced a lot of churn this past year. It all started early summer last year when my mom, a 27 year veteran at her job, was unceremoniously fired. This incident shook me to my core, that someone could be discarded so heartlessly. It felt like the wind was knocked out of me, leaving a mark even stronger than that left by my divorce. For any one that has followed this blog, that was pivotally life changing for me. This incident made me question a lot of things about life... How should I invest my time with the knowledge that even if you are doing the right things, bad shit still happens?
It was hard on my parents too. Its one thing to be tracking to retirement in a few years and another to abruptly have your career cut short. This all happened just a few months prior to me taking on my current position as a department leader at work and my sister had just stepped into her first management role. With my mom unemployed, she quickly became a life line for us. She became a replacement mom in both our respective households, as Candy and I worked to learn new and challenging roles at work. It was not unheard of for my mom to be staying over for a week at a time this past year.
Then I did my house downsizing over Christmas and of course my parents were right there in the middle helping me through that crazy change.
In January, I happened to walk by the living room window and saw the for sale sign down the street. If this wasn't an act of God, I don't know what one looks like... My parents moved in down the street in March. :o) Mom continued to fill voids for us, as demanding jobs pulled us away from home, but now she no longer had to commute 2 hours one way to help. And now Isaac can walk 5 houses down the street for the pop and treats she always keeps for him, because his mean mom won't buy that crap... SPOILER. :o)
This September? My mom got a new job. :o) She works for my company, as an engineering project assistant. This is an essential but under appreciated role, these folks do all the crappy work engineers don't want to do. I knew that when she interviewed and I tried to explain it to her, but she didn't care. And you know what? Hearing her come home every night that first month, telling me how much she loved being back to work was a gift of perspective. She opened my eyes to see the blessings I have right in front of me. My job is hard and sometimes it can feel unrewarding. But I have a good job. It pays really well. I get to work with great people, doing challenging things.
Mom, thanks for helping me remember my blessings. Thank you for carrying me through this past year. And thank God for sending you the blessing of getting fired. It was our blessing in disguise.
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