I didn’t write a post yesterday because I took zero pictures over the weekend.
And how can there be a weekend recap without pictures?
There can’t be. Everyone blogger knows that.
But in case you were wondering, my weekend involved: gorgeous (although cold) weather, watching the CrossFit Games, long walks with Ozzie, walking through a farmers’ market (and buying some tofu), spending time with my main man, going to a street festival, and spending time with my in-laws and extended family. I even found time to enjoy a cocktail (or two).
Now that we got that out of the way (because we can’t just pretend the weekend never happened, right?!) we can move onto today’s post.
(This pic is SYMBOLIC… because life is full of unexpected turns)
I’ve been having a little bit of writer’s block lately. I think it’s because my life has undergone a semi-major change in the last few weeks and I haven’t really talked about it on my blog.
A month or so ago, I was let go from my job.
(You know those life situations that you wonder how you’ll handle if it ever happens to come up? Well, now I know what it feels like and how I’ll react to being laid off!)
It was definitely unexpected and not performance related, so I never saw it coming. I worked for a small company, and I wasn’t the only person let go, which made me feel a tiny bit better about the entire thing, but it was still quite a blow to my ego.
I mean, does anyone like rejection? I certainly don’t!
Basically, as soon as I arrived to my office on a Friday morning at the end of June, my boss asked to talk to me. We found a conference room, and he quickly told me that they had decided to let me go. We chatted for a bit (he offered to write me a recommendation for my next job), I deleted some personal pics from my work computer, I left my keys on my desk, shut down my computer, and walked out the door. I also gave my work ‘stuff’ to a coworker, so that I didn’t have to carry it through the streets of Chicago.
Once I was out of the office (approximately 5 minutes after I talked with my boss), I called the Husband, who reacted with shock and immediate support. We decided that I should walk to his office and from there we would head to the Blackhawks victory parade, which just so happened to be taking place a few blocks from where we were. So, we spent the rest of that morning cheering for our favorite players and for the Stanley Cup! Once we got home, I put on my bikini, headed to my deck, and called a few friends. To be honest. I think I was still in shock at that point.
It actually turned out to be a pretty decent day, considering the circumstances, but there were many different emotions that ran through me in the hours/days after my boss told me I had been let go.
Initial shock when my boss told me I was being let go.
Relief because I realized that God was answering my prayers about whether I was in the right job.
Shame when I thought about who I should immediately tell, and then when I had to tell people in the following days/weeks.
Grateful that I have a wonderful support system. One of my best friends even sent me little umbrellas to go in fruity drinks, because I have more time to enjoy some alcoholic beverages now!
Sadness/defeated that I was let go.
Optimism because I know a much better role is out there for me! I know God doesn’t close doors without opening a window, I just struggle with having patience until his plans are revealed to me!
Thankful for my rainy day fund. Living fairly frugally and aggressively saving for the last few years has been beneficial, because even though I am not making money right now I’m also not stressed about finances.
Uncertain about what’s going to happen next. Although, this is a great learning experience for me. I am such a planner by nature, and to not have a plan for the next step in my life is strangely liberating! (Although, still stressful).
I must say that although this is a bit of a hiccup in my life plan, I am so blessed to be able to more or less enjoy this time without being too stressed out. The Husband is nothing less than 100% supportive and he is very encouraging when I have moments of weakness. And there are some perks… it’s summer in Chicago, so I’ve found some time to do some reading and spending time outdoors. Plus, I think Ozzie is enjoying having a full-time doggy mom!
I’m sure I’ll write more posts about what I do and don’t do with my newly found time off, but for now I’ll wrap up by saying that if you would like to pray that I find my ‘dream job’, I’d appreciate it!
