The world is a wild and magical place. Recently, all my coworkers and I were fired by an incompetent new boss. All of us.
EVERYONE. Meaning, there is no staff to carry out the work of the agency. "
What?!?" you may be saying to yourself.
Yes, you read that correctly. This mass firing without good cause is one of the unfortunate side effects of living in a
Right to Work state, where workers have no protections against unfair firings and are not guaranteed jobs.
I've been cycling through the
stages of grief, which I spent a good amount of time learning about, discussing, and helping others through as a
social worker. But, it is one thing to assist others with this process; it is a completely different thing to be going through it yourself.
Luckily, I am fortunate enough to have an incredible family and an unbelievable community of friends, chosen family, and colleagues. I also truly believe that what one puts out into the world
comes back to you a hundred fold. So, in the long term, I know I'll be okay because I work every day to put good out into the universe.
I am trying to look at this challenge as an opportunity for reflection and contemplation (hence the attempt at blogging). During this period of grieving and recuperation, I am also trying to spend lots of time with people and take care of myself: eating well, going on woodland hikes, reading books (just finished
Doctor Sleep by
Stephen King), gardening, visiting with friends, and continuing to be involved in social justice work.
And, of course, wading into the shark-infested waters of the job market. Which is awful. And necessary. But, luckily, I have people looking out for me who are sending me job postings, training opportunities, well wishes, taking me out for lunch, engaging me in
kindness challenges, sending me fun things in the mail, and being there when I need them.
What about you? Have you had a similar experience? What did you do to take care of yourself? Any tips?
