February- the month for lay offs and love

First, February has always been my least favorite month. It mostly started when I was 21. During that month that year, I found myself with a totaled car, a torn ACL, my first D (damn you Physics), and coming home only to find that my precious childhood best friend had died. My cat, Tink, had passed away only a few days before. I was so distraught.

And only two years ago, February 16th, was I laid off from my first job. And just a few weeks ago I found myself laid off again, from my second job.

I mean... What gives? I hate you February! I loathe you entirely!!!

But actually I don't. Because this past February was cause for a lot of celebration. Not only did I finally get to enjoy Valentine's day via skype, but I also accepted a job offer for my new, current job.

And so, anyone who knows me, knows that I love a good story. I love irony, surprise endings, and comedic timing. I thrive on this stuff. I wish we could get it in liquid form, because I'd be a junkie on that kind of crack.

True to form, while still working at my previous job, I got a call from my current job letting me know that they were excited to extend me an invitation to join their team! I was so excited!! I hadn't been very happy at my previous job because of 'angry coworker', working with 4 middle aged men, and the lack of challenging projects. So the new job came as a welcomed surprise in a poor economy. The only draw back was that I couldn't announce my quitting to my previous job just yet. Not only was my annual review the next day (which would be poor timing to say "I quit!"), but I was supposed to take off for vacation, enjoy a weekend seeing my boyfriend, then we had a paid holiday, and so I figured I wanted to enjoy all of those perks before quitting and sometime the following week would be a prime time to let my boss know I was leaving.

And so, the next day at my previous job, there was a sense of peace and a little apathy. I knew I was going to like my new job, and I was also thankful to be leaving my previous one. Butt-faced angry coworker could yell at me all he wanted today, because screw him. I'm quitting!

But for as much as I desired the excitement of saying, "Here's my two weeks notice." I never got that chance. As I walked into my boss' office for my annual review, upon sitting down he bluntly explained to me that he was going to have to let me go. I was being laid off.

Normally that kind of news would knock someone's wind out. Having experienced it previously without a new job in sight, it's a horrible moment littered with worries about money, health care, money, moving, money. And that's when I was single, without a mortgage or a family depending on my income. But because I was planning on quitting anyway, I couldn't help but spread a broad smile across my face as my boss said "and we'll offer you severance, your annual bonus you would have received in April, and all your vacation time you haven't used paid to you as cash."

Essentially.... I just got a paid vacation and then some.

So despite my boss trying to encourage me throughout the day, insisting I was putting on a facade of peace to compensate for what had to be a overwhelming feeling that I was going to burst out in tears at any time... really, I was mentally planning my trip home to spend 2 wonderful weeks with my family, friends, and manfriend up in the panhandle while shopping for new work clothes.

February has been redeemed.