Category Archives: speical needs

Joaquin

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I woke up this morning discouraged. My weekend plans are a bust – all my preparations and shopping weren’t necessary. Joaquin is going out to sea.

I know I’m not not alone in my disappointment. Anna commented this morning that she’d been hoping for a long weekend, “I don’t want destruction or anyone hurt. Just enough flooding to cancel school for a couple of days.” And, go on Facebook (or maplewoodonline) and you’ll see that there are plenty of people that have spent a huge amount of time this week discussing “hurricane force winds”, “tropical depressions” and “cones of uncertainty”.

Storms bring us together. They give us all something to talk about and “weather” is pretty safe topic – it sure beats gun control or marriage equality (both of which I support wholeheartedly, but don’t necessarily want to chat about with the UPS guy).

Neighbors rally together to share their homes and fridges following a storm. No one cares who they’re voting for or where/if you go to church. Storms are a great equalizer. Perhaps it’s that storms don’t care who you are. Nature is blind as it barrels in. We’re all fair game and need to stand together to get through it. Storms bring the best out of people.

So, I’d been hoping for a little weather to distract me from my worries and get me reacquainted with our neighbors. I was ready to fill the bathtub and hunker down. I still have one eye on the Weather Channel, hoping that Joaquin might make an unexpected turn west. Nature always likes to keep us guessing.

Love, Jess

P.S. My heart goes out to everyone in the Bahamas. I, like Anna, don’t want destruction or anyone hurt. Simply a good storm to take a few days off and hang out with my neighbors.

a job, a dad, and a beard

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beard family

Big day here at 26 Clinton Avenue, and I’m not referring to the snow day. Today, after seven months at home, Dan went to work.

Working in finance it’s almost expected that you will be let go, downsized or simply fired at some point in your career. Its often not a reflection of your work ethic or knowledge base, it’s just that companies change their strategies or decide that someone is easily replaced with a cheaper version. Dan and I have both known it was a possibility, but have always been lucky to enjoy the security of consistent paychecks, fun bonuses and good medical insurance.

When Dan first got let go, it did take me a little while to put it in perspective. Our family has certainly had worse days (heard worse news), but the news of Dan losing his job shook my foundation. Dan’s job has always been a stable structure in our percarious house of cards. We’re not so well off that we aren’t aware of money, but it’s something we don’t need to worry about often. We have enough. Enough to pay bills, enjoy vacations and pay for help that allows me to breathe. Money makes our lives easier. I know this, because I know many families with complicated lives that don’t have any. It makes difficult circumstances, more difficult.

Although those first few days after hearing the news I did feel the unease of not knowing what to expect and feared the possibility of losing our security, I wasn’t as panicked as I would have imagined. My confidence in Dan, our families resilience and our savings allowed me to keep my perspective. Dan put me further at ease when he explained the generous package that his company had offered. Not a “golden parachute”, but solid silver. And, a package that included a “garden leave”.

Although Dan managed to secure his next job quickly, this “garden leave” required him to stay out of his industry for a period of time. “Garden leave” protects companies from having their ex employees hitting the market quickly. It meant Dan got to enjoy all the perks of working (salary, benefits, etc) without working. And, he got to spend the last seven months going through our family weekday routine – a routine that he has never had the opportunity to truly witness. I thought it would be tough adding Dan to our days, but it’s been wonderful. He’s been great company, had meaningful time with the kids, and has enjoyed hiking, reading and growing his beard.

After seven months, it was strange to see him put on a suite this morning, and kiss my forehead with his freshly shaved face. Strange having breakfast without him. The house seems oddly empty without his music playing and offers to do the grocery shopping (and shoveling). It’s going to be an adjustment, but we’re ready and grateful that we had this break. I’m so glad I didn’t waste too much time worrying.
Love, Jess