What a wonderful bright warm winter day we are having on the prairies.
There is just that hint of spring in the air...a moistness I suppose. The wood stove is working but just barely. It feels like a good day to let the chickens out.. that is if we had chickens.
It also reminds me of the February before we had to leave the farm behind and move our family to the city so that my husband and I could get upgrade training. I dreaded every passing day and specifically remember holding the baby and wishing and wishing that the days wouldn't fly by so quickly.
We had a plan. I would leave the family here on the farm and take our 3 month baby to the nearby university in May to take summer classes. We would stay in university residence and find a babysitter with the goal that someday I could land a teaching position somewhere. My husband would stay home with the other two children until the fall and then move to the city also , where he would be enrolled in an electronic course in the hope upon completion of obtaining a job somewhere in the province.
There were lots of things to be organized. Long distance phone calls were made, letters written, application forms filled out, all in the days before bundles, emails, or fax machines.
All through this same time we were negotiating with our financial institution regarding debt review and loan payments. We were dealing with lawyers , negotiators, accountants, and employment offices.
Those quiet February days haven't been forgotten, because every day that passed meant one more day of leaving my family, my home, and the way of life I had envisioned. It was not supposed to be that way. It was supposed to be that if you worked hard, planned carefully , and were willing to sacrifice success would be guaranteed.
This past week has been upsetting for many people at my place of work. Hours and positions have been cut. Finances and families put at risk. Plans and dreams have been put on hold. People are afraid.
I understand those fears. I did not know what fear was until I realized that we had no cash in the bank, although we did have $500 cash stashed in the house, no jobs, and the prospect of any viable way to make a living was not readily apparent. I remember Irwin lying on the couch and saying , "Oh Louie . Whatever are we going to do?"
I don't know quite how we coped . I guess we got through it because there was just no other direction to go. We stuck to our plan, we stayed together as a family, and we finally were able to get back on our feet financially.
The best advice we were given at this time?
It went something like this:
Try to think of the worst three things that could ever happen to you and if what you are going through right now isn't one of them then Give Thanks and carry on.
There is just that hint of spring in the air...a moistness I suppose. The wood stove is working but just barely. It feels like a good day to let the chickens out.. that is if we had chickens.
It also reminds me of the February before we had to leave the farm behind and move our family to the city so that my husband and I could get upgrade training. I dreaded every passing day and specifically remember holding the baby and wishing and wishing that the days wouldn't fly by so quickly.
We had a plan. I would leave the family here on the farm and take our 3 month baby to the nearby university in May to take summer classes. We would stay in university residence and find a babysitter with the goal that someday I could land a teaching position somewhere. My husband would stay home with the other two children until the fall and then move to the city also , where he would be enrolled in an electronic course in the hope upon completion of obtaining a job somewhere in the province.
There were lots of things to be organized. Long distance phone calls were made, letters written, application forms filled out, all in the days before bundles, emails, or fax machines.
All through this same time we were negotiating with our financial institution regarding debt review and loan payments. We were dealing with lawyers , negotiators, accountants, and employment offices.
Those quiet February days haven't been forgotten, because every day that passed meant one more day of leaving my family, my home, and the way of life I had envisioned. It was not supposed to be that way. It was supposed to be that if you worked hard, planned carefully , and were willing to sacrifice success would be guaranteed.
This past week has been upsetting for many people at my place of work. Hours and positions have been cut. Finances and families put at risk. Plans and dreams have been put on hold. People are afraid.
I understand those fears. I did not know what fear was until I realized that we had no cash in the bank, although we did have $500 cash stashed in the house, no jobs, and the prospect of any viable way to make a living was not readily apparent. I remember Irwin lying on the couch and saying , "Oh Louie . Whatever are we going to do?"
I don't know quite how we coped . I guess we got through it because there was just no other direction to go. We stuck to our plan, we stayed together as a family, and we finally were able to get back on our feet financially.
The best advice we were given at this time?
It went something like this:
Try to think of the worst three things that could ever happen to you and if what you are going through right now isn't one of them then Give Thanks and carry on.
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