We've been going through a period of loss in our life right now. It started more than two years ago when my wife was laid off from her job. We had to make some major changes to our lifestyle in order to make ends meet. She has been looking for a job ever since, but all she has to show for it is a handful of preliminary interviews and no job offers. Later that same year I agreed to move to the graveyard shift, after being compelled by the idea that it was the only way my career with the company would move forward. My wife's unemployment benefits ran out about a year after her layoff, and despite all the hubbub about "extending benefits for the unemployed" in the political media, for some reason she has been unable to qualify for any extension since then. In 2010 we accrued thousands of dollars worth of medical bills, some of which we are still paying off today. After I had finally gotten used to the graveyard shift I was forced to move shifts again, despite never agreeing to do so. On Thanksgiving of last year, I was fired from my job for an error in judgement. The actual results of that error were that the customer was given the benefit of doubt and satisfied with the service they were given, and the casino that I was working for made an extra $25 in profit, but management chose to make an example and fire me anyway. I have since not been able to find employment. We have lived off the support of our family and government benefit, but it is running out. I only hope we can keep the house until we are able to sell it, though selling right now may still cost us money we don't have. I'm uncertain about what tomorrow may bring.
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We've been going through a period of great gains in our life right now. It all started about two years ago when my wife decided to make the most of being a stay at home mom. Our daughter is thriving because of the extra time and support she has received. We found creative budgeting solutions that work for our family. I love to cook, and together we were able to design and develop recipes to feed the family and stay within our budget. We've been very successful in recreating our favorite restaurant dishes at home for a fraction of what they cost when dining out. We were blessed last year with the birth of our son in March. Our choice to use cloth diapers has quite literally saved us a fortune. In November my wife started her blog, Obsessions of the Trophy Wife. This has opened whole new avenues of social support with her fellow bloggers and followers, plus it has allowed her to obtain several new and fun products that she reviews for her readers. In November I lost my job, but my upward mobility had stalled out and I was no longer able to see eye-to-eye with management. I have enjoyed my newfound ability to spend time with all of my family. I am seeing my son grow up firsthand. For the first time in the history of our marriage I am able to help my daughter with her homework, have dinner with my family, tuck in the kids and go to bed with my wife on a daily basis. We have been able to maintain our home thanks to the generosity of our family and friends. We have been able to give more of our time to our church and there we found an amazing network of friends, not to mention a regular outlet for our musical talents (the first in years). Our family and faith have both been strengthened as a result. There have been some job prospects, both in our current location and in areas closer to our family, and our future looks very bright. I can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring.
How do you look at your life?
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That's a great post. It's easy to be flippant about "seeing the glass half full," but the simple truth is almost everything that happens to us has positive and negative attributes. As an inveterate cynic I always have to work to see the good in things. Well done.
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