Throughout the 2008 campaign North Americans heard over and over about the poor state of our economy. We heard about the housing market crash. We listened to stories of long tenured financial institutions going belly up. We heard about the climbing unemployment rate reaching a 14 year high. Until yesterday, they all seemed like stories to me. I was just a third-party observer. Yesterday, my family became part of the story.
The Call
Yesterday afternoon I received a call from my wife, Estelina, informing me that she was just laid off. When she told me the news, it felt like I had just been punched in the stomach. She was working part-time while she attends graduate school at St. Edward’s Universtity. Estelina was in surprisingly good spirits, which helped elevate my mood as well. There had been grumblings of organizational changes and possible layoffs through the grape vine at her work, so we were mentally prepared for this outcome. In fact, the more we discuss it, the more we are coming to terms with it. It could even be a blessing.
The Secret
Why in the world would getting laid off be a blessing? It isn’t like we don’t need the income. The truth is that for the last two months, Estelina has been working very hard towards open a children’s entertainment facility. If you are a parent you’ve no doubt seen the places with inflatables and moonwalks were kids can have birthday parties, run, jump and play. Well, we are hoping to be the preferred destination for parties and good old fashion fun. If all goes according to plan, we will open the doors in June 2009.
We’ve never done anything like this before and to be honest it is all a bit scary. There is a lot of work yet to be done and a lot of uknowns. But Estelina is dilligent. She continues to research and run the numbers (over and over again). Her passion for it is infectious. Even the developers she met with could not help but be won over by her knowledge and enthusiasm. Most importantly, our faith is carrying us through. No matter what happens, we are going to be alright. Just keep us in your prayers.
December 2nd, 2009 at 9:52 am
[...] in November of 2008 I posted about my wife losing her job and embarking on starting her own business. It was a scary proposition. The process was exhausting and often frustrating as well. But the [...]