The Bright Spots of Being Laid Off

Yesterday, I wrote the story of being laid off. Today, as I continue to grieve and move forward, I wanted to share the few bright spots I’ve found in this experience.

I haven’t ever really thought of myself as someone to find the silver lining in everything, but honestly – I think I am. While the past two days have been full of grief, they have also been full of love, of support, of discovery, and slowly, of peace. So in no particular order – the bright sides of this experience.

• The unwavering love and support of my husband. Not that I had any doubt, but the second it happened, he consoled me, then gave me the space I needed. While I was taking my time, he started to reach out on my behalf. If you’re new here, you may not know that Chris and I met at work, and his old coworkers are mine too. So while I took the time and space I needed to process my emotions, he was already reaching out for me, already researching, already networking with everyone we know. He has never wavered in his faith that we will get through this in a matter of weeks. He has taken on the bulk of parenting in the past two days to give me the space I needed. I was always thankful for him before, but now? I can’t imagine doing this without him.

• The support of my friends and family. I think I haven’t always realized the support I have in the relationships I’ve built. I’m an Enneagram 2, and I’m always the one giving help. I was always referred to as “Mama Jess” and always the one helping everyone else. When I started sharing what happened on Friday, they were there for me. I have never felt so loved by my friends than I have in the past few days. My sorority sisters, college roommates, blog friends – every single one offered support and a virtual shoulder to lean on – even people I have not talked to in years. I had been feeling pretty lonely lately and that support – well it’s a very bright spot in this situation.

• The kindness of strangers. You know what’s cool about the internet? Anyone can reach out and help anyone else. Someone has always been through something similar to you, people can offer advice, and they can give you connections where they can. Someone in a working moms Facebook group I’m in works for LinkedIn – and she gifted me 6 months of Premium, no strings attached. Another offered to look at my resume. The community I’ve built on Instagram flooded my DMs in a way I’ve never experienced. A blog support group I’m in promised to pass along opportunities as they came along. The internet can have a lot of drawbacks and even trolls, but for the most part? The internet is amazing.

• I am writing again. This is perhaps the most unexpected gift – the emotions I’ve been feeling opened me up again in a way I’ve been chasing for months. It unleashed everything, and I’m actually excited to write again. I want to let it all out. I want to connect, to grow, to share. I want to write things that matter – things you can read and see yourself in. Things you are going through along with me. I want to put words to my experience and share them. I hope you’ll stay as I do.

Tomorrow, I start the job search, and I’ll keep you all in the loop as I go through it. Wish me luck.