UNEMPLOYMENT AFTER DINNER

My husband quietly ate his dinner, then afterwards said we needed to talk. I thought he had a complaint about the food. I was wrong. He needed to tell me about his job. He works in a small startup company bankrolled by one man. They are working on a hybrid system to improve gas mileage in buses. They were starting to sell units while still in development. But they haven’t ironed out all the bugs. So production has halted.  The man financing the operation can no longer afford to do it until more capital comes in. So he slashed jobs. My husband’s was affected. I took his job for granted. I assumed it would always be there. Now it’s not. We lived our lives in the moment, not worried about tomorrow. Too late to undo that kind of thinking. We were ill prepared for this truth. We have nobody to blame, but ourselves. Thank goodness for Social Security. Without it we wouldn’t survive. It’s going to be a major readjustment, living on such a small income. But somehow, some way we will manage. In the meantime, I am grateful my pantry is full and my freezer is well stocked. I have a tendency to stockpile things. That has been a blessing in disguise. I fear the impact of unemployment will hurt most at the holidays. I won’t get to splurge on the grandchildren, like I’ve been accustomed to.  Fortunately, I tucked away some items for them, over the summer, that can be used as gifts. Still Christmas won't be the same. But it will give us more time to focus on the real meaning of the season. On top of all this bad news, more followed... my husband has new heart and breathing problems that have further complicated our lives. For now... no surgery is needed. Thank goodness. But his medicines will cost us a small fortune... at a time, when we can afford it least.  I am asking all my blog buddies to please say a little prayer for us, as we head into this new phase of our lives. It's either sink or swim. I hope we somehow manage to keep our heads above water. "The future comes, one day at a time."