A layoff hits home

Layoffs. My husband is just one of millions now collecting unemployment. He's accustomed to waking before the morning light peeps through our shutters so he can get on the road before rush hour traffic more than doubles his commute time. The hours he had to keep now seem like such a small thing compared to the thick stack of bills my salary can't possibly cover.

Worries. I know fretting about the economic conditions that led to the difficulties many of us are experiencing isn't helpful, but it's not easy to keep my mind from drifting into dark terrain.Grace. So I take a deep breath and listen to the delicious sound of rain tap, tapping on the skylights above. I look into the fire burning in our stove, knowing we have enough wood stacked outside to last us through this winter and next. I'm grateful to have a home today, even though it's now worth less than we owe on it. No one knows what lies ahead. I may as well not assume the worst.

There is wisdom to be gained at each of life's many turns.

Note: I posted this long before COVID-19 caused so much loss of life and so many lost jobs. Some jobs will come back; others will be gone forever, just like loved ones gone from hundreds of thousands of families in the United States alone. Joe Biden will be inaugurated as President of the United States in ten days. Insurgents invaded the U.S. Capitol last week. It is a time of crisis. I wonder what I'll think if I read this nine years from now.