Monday, November 14, 2011

Harvesting Pearls

This blog is an experiment, born out of life's twists and turns.  I'm writing it for me, and if I happen to get some readers to tag along, that'll be an extra bonus! 

Once upon a time (late September, 2011), Hubby and I took a week-long vacation to Disney World.  Neither of us had been there before, and we had a great time experiencing the "Disney Magic" first-hand.  Little did we know when we came home, we'd brought along an extra little souvenir.  Fast forward to October 16th, when I found out I was pregnant! 

Now, as exciting as that is, it's not enough to plunge me into the world of blogging.  But life had a couple other tricks up its sleeve.  Four days after learning that I was expecting, I found out that my job at a major Milwaukee company was being eliminated as part of a reduction in force. 

I'd been in the position for a year, and there was really no warning that this was coming.  I would have expected to feel disappointment at the very least, since I really did like working there.  But instead, my initial thought was, "Huh, that's interesting."  After some thought, I realized that I was actually looking forward to the end of my position. 

The fact that I was pregnant changed things significantly, since it impacted the predictable next step of looking for another corporate job.  I could only effectively search for a job for so long, and then there was the whole maternity leave question since I wouldn't qualify for paid leave that soon into a new position.  Plus, I'd feel a little two-faced taking a new job knowing I'd have to take off that soon. 

So, I decided to approach my unemployment like a sabbatical:  I would take this time of leave to get life in order, prepare for the baby, and think about what I really want to do next.  It was a great plan, and I was excited!  I felt this sense of adventure and anticipation for what was yet to come, and I realized that I hadn't felt this in a long time!

Unfortunately, life had at least one more sad twist to throw our way.  After just a couple of weeks, we learned that Baby Disney (Baby D) had stopped developing and the pregnancy wasn't viable. 

As disappointing as this news was, I didn't find it devastating.  We were emotionally prepared for this, knowing that it was still very early in the pregnancy.  But more than that, I can't help thinking that if Baby D wasn't meant to stay on earth with us, then maybe he or she was meant to help us prepare for the future in a new way. 

I resolved to stick with my original plan.  Baby D had reminded me of dreams I hadn't been giving enough attention, of how to pursue those dreams and live intentionally instead of being swept away by life's busy-ness and distraction. 

That's what this blog is about.  It's a space for me to take those dreams, jot them down, and get to work.  I'll organize my thoughts and ideas, track my progress, and maybe write an interesting story as I go along (one of my dreams is to be a writer, even just on the side)! 

Thanks in advance to anybody who reads this story.  I look forward to sharing the journey ahead!

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