About three months ago, I randomly stopped at my parents’ house to pick up a few things. Being that it was in the middle of the day and both my parents work, no one was home  – and that was no surprise. What was a surprise was, as I was gathering my things getting ready to leave, I saw my dad’s car pull into the driveway with my mom in the passenger seat. I ran to the door to greet them with a surprise, HELLO!, only to find my mom in tears and learn that the reason they were home was because she had just been laid off from her job. My heart dropped into my stomach. To see your strong-willed, near the age of retirement mother in such a vulnerable state is something you never want to see. I truly believe God sent me home that day to be there for her. So I could hug her, talk it over with her, and listen to her tell me how she feels. I was even running later than I had planned, and if I had been on time – which I am 98% of the time – I would have just missed them. everything happens for a reason #1.

Fast-forward three months and my mom was collecting unemployment and looking for a new job. I would often stop by at lunch and see her at the computer – which I assumed she was Facebooking – but she assured me she was searching for a job. A woman just a few years away from retirement – refusing to quit. I often told her, “Just retire… relax… collect unemployment until social security kicks in… just enjoy it.” Yet she wouldn’t listen. She kept looking, kept applying, kept praying…

And today, her hard work and prayers were answered. She was offered a Senior position at a well known bank – and I could not be happier for her. It’s a higher position, with a better boss, at a bigger company, in a department that she is more interested in, at a branch that’s closer to home. win. win. win. win. win.  all across the board. You see, even though she was unhappy at her prior position – she would have never left that job. She had loyalty to that company. She would have stayed there forever. It took her getting laid off for her to be exposed to this better opportunity, and I could not be happier with the way everything worked out for her. everything happens for a reason #2.

To my hard-working, determined mother: CONGRATULATIONS. You deserve every bit of happiness in this new position. I am so proud of you for not giving up, for proving that at 60+ you can still compete with the best of them. I told you to take the easy way out – retire, relax, stop looking for a job. But you persisted. You were stubborn (and you wonder where I get it from??). I am SO INCREDIBLY proud to call you my mother and I hope I have some of that determination in me 🙂

(this picture is a reminder to me to get OUT from BEHIND the camera more often! I barely had any pictures of myself from family parties!!)