And this, too, shall pass

Posted by Erin Brown on Friday, February 27, 2009 in faith, lay off,

I woke up today and I couldn’t move, I couldn’t cry, and I couldn’t feel.  On February 17^th, 2009, good people were told that they were to be the victims of the recession.  I was one of those people.

We were told that we needed to work until the end of the month.  On that day, I was sad, but I had to think through what was happening.  I could have felt bad and let things get me down, but the reality of the situation is that this recession is creating a lot of opportunities for many people.  I now have the opportunity to explore other options and to expand my horizons.  I’ve allowed myself to accept the idea of renting my house and moving to another city so that I can experience something new. I actually convinced myself that this was the best thing that has ever happened to me.  Today was a different story.

The moment I woke up I was numb.  I couldn’t move, I couldn’t cry, and I couldn’t feel...until I got to work.  Everything hit me like a ton of bricks!  I didn’t think that it would be emotional, but it was. As I was packing the rest of my belongings, my eyes began to water and my nose was stuffy.  I couldn’t look anyone in the eyes.  I cried.

After I left the building I felt much better.  I’ve allowed myself to have a moment of clarity and I’ve regained my focus.  I am now free to do whatever it is that God has in store for me.  I’m allowing myself to trust in my faith.  I am going to create opportunities for myself to get ahead and to prove that my position at that company did not define who I am as a person.  It was simply a stepping-stone along my path to where I am supposed to be.  I had to realize that there is life after a lay-off.  I just have to work to make this life worthwhile.

Today, I’ve completed the last chapter in a book that was written for the old Erin.  I’ve also opened a new book that is filled with blank pages for me to fill with the ups, downs and great adventures in this new journey that I’ve been forced to take.  I can’t wait to see where the journey takes me.