Clouds and Silver Linings

LJ Writer’s Block question: What’s the worst thing that could happen to you today? Bonus question: How would that thing potentially benefit you?

In answering this question, I actually want to hearken back several months, to my previous job. It was a pretty good job-- because of the nature of our work, there was little pressure to meet what few strict deadlines existed. Not to mention that our client base was a few hundred fellow employees, not paying consumers from the outside world. The fact that it was a large company meant the benefits were excellent-- health care was cheap, time off was generous, and retirement benefits were truly unbeatable.

Most of you were probably aware of the news of impending layoffs at the time, so it wasn’t a complete surprise when I turned out to be one of the few thousand affected. I guess the answer to the question above would be: losing my job. And it happened. Still, it wasn’t without its benefits, and that’s where the bonus question comes in.

I enjoyed 3 months "off" before I began working again. During that time, I got to stay home and spend lots of time with Todd, enabling me to bond with my little boy, something I could never do before (leaving the house at 9am, returning at 8pm-- shortly before his bedtime). I enjoyed taking him to and from school, helping him with his homework at home, and generally doing all sorts of mommy-child activities together. My mother fell ill in December and being home full time enabled me to not only look after Todd while she was at various appointments (and then the surgery itself), but look after the household and take care of my mom.

Then there is the job itself. Though the benefits aren’t quite so stellar (but what can you expect when the company is a fraction of the size of my old one?), they are decent. More importantly, I’m really enjoying it here. I’ve learned a lot and continue to do so every day. The atmosphere is decidedly different-- more laid-back, less stuffy. There’s a difference between "casual" and "business casual", after all. While at first Allan and I were a bit skeptical of how working together would affect our relationship (would we be sick of each other?) it has turned out to work well for us. We have a nice, harmonious routine and incredible flexibility in changing our schedules so one of us is always available to look after Todd while he’s with us in SB till summer. Plus, quite frankly, it’s nice to have tech help I can guiltlessly prod for help whenever I need it, just a flight of stairs away :-)

And I know I’ve mentioned this before, but not having to commute at least 45 minutes one way each day, is FANTASTIC! There is something to be said for seeing daylight when you go home in the evening-- even during the short days of the winter months!

I know I’ve addressed the blog question of the day retrospectively. But it does indeed exemplify the "silver lining in every cloud" adage. I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason. I believe that nothing is an accident or coincidence. And I believe that it’s always possible to look back upon unhappy and disappointing events and see the good things that have come out of it. You may think that’s the eternal optimist in me speaking, but I challenge you to look back on your own less-than-golden memories and find a silver lining. Or two. Really adds perspective, doesn’t it?