Surviving a Layoff

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You’ve heard the saying, “What comes up must come down.” That pretty much summed up our situation. Everything WAS wonderful. Smooth sailing. Cloud 9. Picture perfect.

Then the ball dropped. The company my husband worked for got a new CEO and they slashed positions. We were in the line of fire. Company wide layoffs. My first thought – how in the world will I survive this long hot AZ summer with a very energetic toddler, a very big baby belly bump, and a now a stressed out husband who is constantly home, in our “play” space? Oh, and let’s not forget the major lockdown on my budget! Eeek!

There goes my summer vacation dreams of hitting the beach and beating the heat. I felt the stir crazy (emphasis on crazy) start to set in! Most days I wanted to run away to a deserted tropical island and drown my sorrows in frozen fruity drinks, but of course (unfortunately) that’s not the solution. So, I can sit here and rant, rave and pull the “poor me” card or I can share what I’ve learned from this journey.

First, the saying “when life hands you lemons, make lemonade” couldn’t have been more true. Since the hubby was home, I enlisted his help. On days he wasn’t interviewing, networking or job hunting I put him on “mom duty.” This part was actually a blessing in disguise as he now saw firsthand, being a stay at home parent with a toddler isn’t always a piece of cake. I also sent him grocery shopping, which on most cases was comical because it took him three times as long and he ventured WAY off the list, but hey, it was a huge help. Oh, and that “honey do” list that’s been posted to the fridge for months was slowly getting checked off.

I’ve learned positive vibes, positive thoughts, and of course FAITH can get you through the most dark times. I had to keep my chin up every day so our son didn’t feel the changes or dark mood in the house. I had to keep his life “on schedule” and the house running smooth even though our world was rocked. I learned my own strength during this. “Stay positive and the ups will be more frequent than the downs.” It was OKAY to be sad, depressed and lost for a little bit. But we HAD to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and push forward in this uncharted territory. I knew there would be light at the end of the tunnel.

There is a saying that really hit home, “hard times will reveal true friends.” Unfortunately some people I thought would be by our side weren’t. Everyone has a phone (yes, we are ALL busy) but sending a simple “check in” text doesn’t take much. We saw the true colors of several friends and family members. I’ve learned that I put out a lot more effort in my relationships (especially when my friends or family are struggling) than I get back. Bottom line, there are a lot of people now off our Christmas card list this year.

Sharing our struggle, as ego-shattering as it was, helped. Networking was key. You just never know who knows somebody, who may know someone else with a job lead. “The opposite of networking is NOT working.” Things take time. Sometimes a LONG time. For my hubby, a new career was not going to happen overnight. That is life. As much as we were looking toward the future I had to constantly remind us both to live in the present. Each day is truly a gift.

And lastly in this cliché filled blog, I reiterate something all us mamas already know, we ARE the glue that holds everything together even if we feel like we may fall apart inside. Cheers to ALL of us!