I got laid off Thursday. As my regular readers know, it wasn’t completely unexpected but it still stings. I wasn’t alone in the layoffs although I wish I was. Some of my dearest friends are leaving with me. One brought cupcakes Thursday because she knew it was coming, so we cried and laughed and ate cake.
My heart is broken. I worked so so hard to help build a beautiful thing and now it’s been taken away from me. All my hard work…gone. I’ve cried for myself, and work family, and my family. Life is changing for us all. It’s the end of an era. I take solace in knowing that it’s not based on my performance or a personal vendetta. The business side of my brain gets it 100%, but my heart hasn’t caught up.
I’ve been overwhelmed by the love and support that people have shown me during all of this. My in laws understood when The Hubs had to go into work late so he could stay with me. They even bought us lunch. My Aunt took care of our dinner so I didn’t have to cook. My coworkers checked in on me and those closest to me even cried with me. The most impact came from my former team. When my boss and I called to share the news they all expressed shock and disappointment. They showered us with love and even offered to help us find new jobs. Can you imagine that? Many are looking for jobs themselves but they still care enough to help us. Their kindness brought me to tears. I’m so honored to have led a team of such wonderful and generous people.
Oddly enough, with the uncertainty of my situation comes a feeling of freedom as well. I’ve spent 7 long months with a knot in my stomach worrying about losing my job. Now the worry has become reality and suddenly the fear has given way to excitement over new possibilities. I’ve always dreamed of working in a museum. I loved it. It was such a truly life changing experience for me. But once you’ve lived the dream, once you’ve achieved the goal, where to next? What new adventure lays ahead? Where can I take my skills and grow them? Where can I do the most good?
It’s time to find a new dream to tackle. I’m not sure what I’ll do yet. I know from my experience at the museum that I want to work with people. I love training and building up teams. It’s something I care very deeply about and I’d hate to give that up. I trust that God has a plan for me and I’m here to hold up my end of the bargain.
So here’s to the next adventure! Onward and upward my Dears!
Mom Van Confessions 