Today is March 15th and most people in the Elk Grove area are aware that teachers are receiving pink slips today.
I knew this as I went to the mail box before heading to Trader Joe's. I saw the little slip indicating that I have a piece of certified mail at the post office. (Yes, we all have to drive to the post office for this particular bit of bad news. Can you say "insult, meet injury?")
I took my daughter with me to the store because she has a great knack for helping me keep my mind in the moment. We had a great time naming all the fruits she knows. (She generally just ignores vegetables.) And she was getting a lot of attention by calling everyone in the store "baby." Adorable.
In the back of my mind, however, I was still feeling sorry for myself. In fact, a Lisa Loeb song came on and I teared up.
At checkout, though, I received a wake-up call. All of a sudden I hear, "Are you Hillary?"
I looked up and saw D, a lifelong friend of my aunt's, and I crumbled. This is a woman I have known for 20 years, a woman with a career, a husband, and two small boys. And she was wearing a head scarf and looked so tired and thin.
I knew that D was diagnosed with breast cancer over a year ago and I knew from my aunt that it wasn't going well. However, it's very different when you see it in person.
She just finished chemo two weeks ago and is about to start radiation. She hadn't been outside in months, so she decided to go to the store.
This woman is not even 40.
I am not happy about my current situation, but I see a new side of things. I have always struggled with seeing the big picture, especially when it comes to money issues.
Okay universe, message received.
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