A SLOWDOWN IS NOT ALL BAD-- TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY

Words like recession economic slowdown, jobcuts were just a jargon for me, till I had to face the heat one day and joined the thousands who were fired by their companies.
I remember, it was a Wednesday and everything seemed to be going well. I was called by my manager in the evening and was handed over the pink slop. The ground slipped from beneath my feet as my hands trembled and my mind asked, “Where did I go wrong? What was my fault?”
With a heavy heart, I walked towards my home. How would I give this news at home? My wife, my kids and above all my in-laws; would that understand or criticize me as they do often?
On the way home, I watched everyone else with tears in my eyes. Everybody looked so happy…even the sweeper appeared to be laughing at me, saying”You are jobless, But I have a job. I’m still on my feet…But what about you?”
The clouds of insecurity wrapped me like a blanket. I wished I could go back and scream at people in the office. I felt cheated. Why me, I wondered.
I imagined myself sitting with the newspaper, searching for jobs, going to various companies, giving interviews, negotiating salaries…a wind of rejection made my steps heavier.
The salary earned by me was used to pay my kids’ fees, and for household expenses. How would we manage now? I would become a burden on my husband till I managed to find a job. I tried to stop my endless trail of tears, my body shivered and made me stop under a tree.
Looking up at the sky. I said my daily prayer to seek blessings from Him. I saw the sun setting and birds flying back to their nests. Nature appeared to be talking to me at that moment.
The sun will rise again; the birds will fly the next day to search for food for their fledglings; flowers would blossom and spread their fragrance. Tomorrow will come…and it’ll come for me as well. A smile lit my face and dried my tears.
I thought again. New Year was approaching. I now had time to spend with my kids. I could hang out with them, cook goodies they loved to eat, and be with them both physically and mentally (which I was unable to do in all my working life). Side by side, I could begin my, search for a new job, and reach out to better avenues.
There are thousands going through the same mental block…we cannot give up so easily. Recession taught me a lesson; hopes should never die.
I felt as excited as a five-year-old blessed by Santa. The words of Oscar Wilde echoed in my ears, “What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise”