Added to that is that the company for which she worked fell into fiscal ruin last year. In a very public way. In the papers. The kind of way that might give future employers reason to pause when they see your name on your resume.
It is the 1-anniversary of the wave the crashed into the company's fortunes and broken them apart. My friend and her co-workers, senior managers with the firm, are still dealing with the fallout. Reporters still call. lawsuits are still a threat. Stock options are worthless. Employment can be hard to come by.
I was once out of work for about 6 months. It was my own choosing, in a way. I left at a position with which I was miserable but didn't have another job in hand. It was a slog to find meaningful employment. It was difficult to stay motivated after a while. I can only imagine how much harder it must be when one day you have a job - a career - and the next you have nothing, and you are being accused of all manner of sins.And then in a few short months, you lose your spouse.
And now, she is dealing with the anniversary of the collapse of the business, more news reports, more calls from reporters, more meetings with attorneys. Add to this the advent of the holiday season with the kids. At least she has moved back to her hometown, where she has the benefit of her family and longtime friends.
Hang in there, C. I cannot say it will get any easier any time soon, but let's hope that it does.
Jud- I wish I could tell you that it has gotten easier, but that would be a lie. There are lots of good days. Even some great days. But the crushing weight of it is always there. As a working mother in a senior position, my professional and personal life often overlapped and were connected. I was reeling from the firms sudden collapse while trying to shelter my family from the day to day. Its not pretty to watch a billion dollar firm be ripped apart. Then after a completetly ordinary family weekend, my husband says he has a severe headache. Two days later he had a massice cerebral henmorge. He left behind an 8 and 4 yr old. No one is prepared for their professional and personal lives to combust simultaneously. I know it will het easier over time and the scar tissue will build. It will get better because it has too. I can do this.
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