Bryan was laid off yesterday. It could have been me. It could have been both of us. It was him. It was a horrible day at the office, filled with tears and uncertainty as emails flew around the firm announcing those who were “GONE.” The cuts were deeper and hit closer to home than any of us expected. So many great people that we have to say good-bye to – namely Bryan. It is such a shame that someone who loved their job as much as Bryan did, and was as good at it as Bryan is, is forced out due to desperate economic times. There are two bright spots.
- Bryan heard from so, so many people at the firm that he was so valued and that this was the wrong decision. This only helped confirm what we already knew, that it wasn’t performance related and that Bryan had made quite the impression in just 6 months. So many people said, “You’ll be back.” We hope so.
- True to the values of the firm, they treated separated employees very well in terms of severance. We are very, very fortunate for that. With the next six weeks being the holidays – no one is hiring during the holidays, even in a good economy – and of course the state of our economy, we’re not expecting Bryan to accomplish much till after the new year. Fortunately, because of the generosity of his severance – and my ability to bring home the bacon, he can take the time to find the right job for him. We hardly have a money tree in the back yard, but we are so much more fortunate than many others losing their jobs right now, and for that we are so grateful.
So with all that said, we’re not packing it in and calling it quits on 18MTTC. Sure, lots of other things will take priority, but oddly enough (or I guess I should say thankfully enough), after a shake-up like this, we always seem to end up in a better place. We’ll be praying that’s the case this time too. And depending on the success of Bryan’s job search, we may have an opportunity to save some of the severance package. That could be an added bonus to our Cape house savings. We’re certainly not counting on that, but you just never know.
It almost feels wrong just saying that when you know that so many people aren’t getting a severance and struggling to put food on their tables, but you’ve got to remain hopeful – for yourself, for everyone. Just this past weekend, Bryan taught the boys a valuable lesson in helping those with less than we are fortunate to have. At mass on Sunday, they announced the need to restock the community food pantry for the holiday season. This year will clearly be even tougher than in the past. Bryan took the boys right from church (I had a commitment and couldn’t join them) to the grocery store and filled a carriage with food just for the pantry. And then they went right from the grocery store to the food pantry to drop it off. The director of the food pantry explained the set-up of the facility to the boys and how what they were doing was helping lots of people. It really made an impression on them.
Last night, as we explained Bryan’s layoff to the boys, we made sure to emphasize to them that we were going to be ok and they weren’t going to have to worry about having food to eat, as this came on the heels of their charitable donation which was fresh in their minds. We told them that we’re very lucky that Daddy’s company is taking good care of us till he can find another job, and emphasized that most people who get laid off aren’t that lucky. Noah, the insightful, sensitive child asked, “Are you worried Dad?” Bryan said, “No, I’m not worried.” To which Noah replied, “Good, because if you were worried, it would mean that you don’t have enough trust and faith.” I am so happy and proud to be witness to that kind of thinking from my 7 year-old son.
Cape house or no Cape house, we’re living a good life. A damn good life.
