Lost jobs and lost insurance are critical issues for anyone. At sixty-six years old, it can be plain scary. I was blessed in that I had people who reached out to me with good wishes, with job offers, with offers of help. Not everyone has that kind of support system.

Matter of fact, when I was younger and a single parent, I did not have that kind of support system. My mother and grandmother had died; I had no siblings to reach out to me; and I had to leave the area where I was known due to a threat to the life of my daughter by her biological father.

The situation with the younger me reinforced the lesson I had learned from watching my mother and grandmother as I was growing up. Neither of them knew the word ‘quit’. I’d seen them both at times depressed, sad, and angry; but, they never quit. They never threw up their hands and gave into despair. They not only survived; they encouraged others who met them not to give in to despair. They never spoke a word; their walk spoke for them.

I, too, learned to survive. Not only to survive, but to continue to dream. Because my mother’s and grandmother’s lives taught me that valuable lesson, I found a life that is rewarding in ways I never believed possible for myself.

My most recent situation taught me another critical lesson. (See—never too old to learn!) Even though I have lived in this area since 1996, I have always been a bit of a social hermit. When I wasn’t busy on the land with my wife–building a wildlife habitat– I was caretaking two elderly women who lived with us. When they passed away, I immersed myself—finally—in my writing. A writer’s life is often solitary.

To be honest, I felt ‘outside’ of the community that surrounded me. In some ways, no matter how many people I met, I felt somehow disconnected.

That was until I lost my job.

First off, I was apprised of a job close to home and encouraged to apply. I applied and discovered that the owner was a delightful person; and, the people I would be working with were caring and supportive. After I started working my new job, my ‘old’ customers ‘found me’ when they came in to buy bread or gas or milk. I received an abundance of hugs and support and encouragement.

And so, I learned that I was not as ‘alone’; as ‘disconnected from the community’ as I had believed.

Years ago, I was on the road and between jobs. I had stopped in a post office to send a letter to a friend. As I walked back towards my van-turned-rolling-home, a man walked over to me briskly and stuck out his hand. In pure reflex, I took his hand and shook it, and then he turned and walked away. I looked down and in my hand he had left a five-dollar bill. Back then being given five dollars was like being handed twenty dollars would be now.

If you don’t give up, you might be surprised to find encouragement and support all around you. People reach out. That is a fact of life. If we don’t close ourselves off; if we are honest about our lives; if we are willing to do whatever it takes to walk that next mile, no matter how rocky or difficult, there will be people along the way who will reach out to us.

THINGS TO DO:

Sit down and decide what actions you can take that will alleviate your situation. Don’t look for fast fixes! Be prepared to go the extra mile.

When someone reaches out to you, accept their encouragement and thank them for caring. Such gifts are priceless in our busy world.

Once you are able to do so, pay-it-forward. Reach out to someone else who needs encouragement.

And never, never, never, ever give up!

NO matter what, remember……….