Even MORE grateful for my life!

Rough times in the economy right now. Tuesday it was announced that everyone at work would have to take 2 of the next 6 months off unpaid. At the end of the 6 months, they'll decide whether or not more permanent action is necessary.

Rachel and I are still recovering from an expensive move to LA and we're awaiting the birth of Bennett this month, so the announcement had me crunching numbers and throwing around ideas in my head like crazy, trying to figure out how we'd make things work.

After telling Rachel about it, she started contributing her money-saving ideas (many of which we've already implemented...such a smart and creative girl I married). She also started looking for a different apartment that would allow us to save up the money necessary for 2 months rent. However, things were still going to be REALLY tight, if we could pull it off at all.

After several hours of stressing out and the two of us emailing one another new ideas as we had them (find a 2-month job through a temp agency, eat vegetarian meals to save money, throw our stuff into storage and live with Rachel's Mom for a couple of months, give up on California and move somewhere where it's cheaper and find a dead-end job for a couple of years until the economy recovers, etc.), I was pulled aside by an HR rep at work who let me know that the 2-months off wouldn't apply to me because of my "extenuating circumstances" (just started work and about to have a baby).

As I am one of a very small number of people at work to whom this applies, I can't begin to express how blessed I feel! I am so grateful to my employers and to my coworkers. I found out Wednesday that one of my coworkers made the argument, "Look, I haven't been here that long and I don't have the money saved up to deal with this, but if it comes down to me or Ryan, let Ryan keep working and I'll take the time off." Also, immediately after the announcement was made on Monday, I had another coworker come and express concern: "The first thing I thought was, 'Wow! This is going to be really tough on Ryan...'"

The selflessness of the people I work with, even as they received their own distressing news, leaves me overwhelmed with gratitude. My heart goes out to all of my friends and to everyone who is struggling through the current economic turmoil.