Unemployment to Employed to Employing

IN order to give this post substance,
here's a little background:

In 2006, our family moved to Idaho
with a new job.
We knew we were supposed to move to Idaho
three years before we got the opportunity,
so when the job offer came,
there was no question that we would GO!

Exactly, one year later
we found ourselves unemployed...
along with thousands of others in the
Treasure Valley.
At first I thought it was going to be a
leisurely summer
having Mr. Wonderful home
and didn't sweat the unemployment.

I figured we'd have a few weeks together
and he'd be re-hired before we knew it.

I was wrong.

Summer flew by,
no job.
School started,
no job.
A son's wedding was planned
for December,
"Surely", I thought,
"We'll have a job by Christmas!"--
no. no we didn't.

I set these mental notes--
"by Valentines. By April fools.
By the time our daughter came home from
her mission, in April. By Summer Break."
No. No. No. No.

I would be lying if I said it wasn't difficult.
That I didn't cry in despair...
that I wondered how this was all gonna work out.

Trials come and go,
this is true.
We all know this,
but if you think about it,
what we really wanna know
about our trials
is this:
How bad is it gonna hurt?
right?

Well our Idaho Experience cost us alot,
but we didn't leave empty-handed.
It required all of our savings--
we're so grateful we had it!
But we came away from Idaho with
two new family members...
a daughter-in-love
and a son-in-love.


After a year of sending off resumes
filling out applications,
working part-time,
we knew something had to change.
It was time to go.
When we made the decision to cut our losses
and come back home to Colorado,
the future was up in the air.

We came back home
with heavy hearts.
We'd been through alot since we'd been gone
for two years.
We hoped we'd never forget what we learned
as a family
and as individuals
from our Idaho Experience,
but also,
that we'd recover from our losses.

It sanctified us and we wanted to keep it that way.

It's been almost two years
since we've been home.
Mr. W got a job 3 days after he came looking for one
in Denver.
He just got a promotion.
And guess what he does now?
One of his responsibilities is to
Interview and Hire
new Employees.

Every week
he comes home with a story
or two
about persons he's hired...

One man showed up for temp work
and another man just showed up
unexpected and unannounced,
with him--
Mr. W let them both work that day.

The second man wasn't qualified to
continue to work the next day
and that made us both sad.

But Mr. W knew that look in the man's eyes...
and did what he could--
and his eyes teared up telling me about it.
I was a bit choked up too.

Yesterday,
two women (sisters) came in for interviews--
both are Russian immigrants.
Mr. W told HR to hire them both.
When the younger sister was offerred the job,
she started crying.

Tears are in my own eyes as I write this.
I know that feeling.
We've been there.

Times are hard.
Good people with good hearts
and true work ethics
are unemployed
and day after day
they wonder what's going to happen to them.


We have to be kind
to look beyond our own noses--
beyond the edge of our own sidewalks
and agendas.
A little kindness goes so far.


There are angels in Boise.
They lifted me up
and buoyed my family
when we need the help.
Our faithful hometeacher,
Brother Robertson,
our Bishops--
Philips and Rodgers,
wonderful Visiting Teacher,
Sister Robertson,
and Relief Society President,
Sister Hardy...
along with our dear new friends
the Sylvesters and Frogleys
and so so many others.

Once we got home,
it was our dear friends
here that shouldered our
burdens and helped us see
that things were going to be okay.

All of these
were truly answers to our prayers.
Truly.


We just bought a new sofa set this week.(remember, the dog ate our loveseat?)
As I was paying for it at the store,
I physically felt awful--
nauseas, anxiety--
the sales gal looked at me and asked if I was okay,
I smiled
and said,
"Well, I just haven't spent this kind of money
in a long time because my husband was out of work
awhile back,
and I'm a little nervous about spending money like this."

She answered, "I know. My husband has been out of work for six months and we just don't spend money on anything we don't have to."

Instantly, I saw her in a different light.

Then, to lighten the mood, I said,
"Oh shoot. I bet you're wishing I'd gone for the leather set now, hunh?"

We both laughed.
 I kept her card. I'm writing a nice letter to her boss,
and to her just to go out of my way to thank her and recognize her help.
 Any little kindness helps, right?

Okay, now I'm just rambling.
I'm too lazy to edit this,
so if you're still here
I hope it made sense.

Be kind.  Bottom line.
Be Kind.