A Series Of Fortunate Events

May 02, 2017

When I was 21 years, being just off of a dog grooming stint, I decided to go in another direction (daily dog hair in places where dog hair doesn't belong convinced me). A company hired me as a multi-state payroll clerk. Previously I held a job at Security Pacific Bank (anyone out there old enough to remember that one?) where, despite my fancy title, I mostly inserted completed payroll checks into shipping bags and made sure they were delivered to customers in a timely manner. That title, along with some creative resume writing, got me a job in this family run company that owned and, or operated 27 locations in 9 different states. The job kept me on my toes, educated me well and, through a series of unforeseen events, I became the office manager in a few years.

After seven years at this company there was an opportunity to start a side business, completely supported by my employer. That side business grew until I went out on my own, my former employer becoming my main client. Throughout this time my relationship with the family flourished. We were all in a similar age range, with me being on the younger end. Together we had marriages, children, heartaches, achievements, deaths and divorces...basically we shared life and became a small extended family.

When my ex-husband (that is still to weird for me to say) reached the rock bottom of his mental illness and addiction, he had been employed by the same people for about 8 years. This family stepped forward and supported us in some sweet and meaningful ways. They made sure that we kept our health insurance for as long as they could and gave us emotional support throughout.

Years later, most of them are now retired or semi-retired. One of them, at this very moment, is adding a master bathroom off of my tiny bedroom inside my tiny little house. Ima have a tub purty darn soon!!!

Feeling grateful for good jobs and good friends and, mostly, for learning the importance of being grateful even when life is hard not just when the going is easy.