Countdown 'til Christmas

Mario and I are just a few hours away from officially starting our Christmas holidays!  When he gets off work this evening, we will pack our bags with clothes, gifts and joy.  This year's celebrations are certainly going to be special, for many reasons. In addition to my new job opportunity,  both Mario and I are going to have time off to  travel, shop, plan, cook and enjoy the season together!

In the past, something always came up and either he or I had to work.  We always managed to get everything done, but it wasn't the same.  This year we want to take in our blessings, which are many, and do so together.

News.

A new ray of hope arrived last Thursday in the form of yet another interview, this time via phone.  And so I was prepared to wait for several more days to get a final word on the status of my candidacy.  This time, however, I underestimated the quickness of the decision process:  the final call took place on Friday afternoon.

It caught me by surprise, walking home, thinking about the long weekend about to start and some repairs needed to be taken care of at home.  When I heard the news, my lungs filled with joy and excitement, my eyes with tears.

Seeing the smile in my husband's face was the best reward I could have asked for.  We have had a five-day weekend to celebrate, make plans, enjoy the weight off our shoulders......and the best is yet to come.

The call that never came

I have been waiting for that important call for two weeks now.  It hasn't happened, and so today I will be making the call.  I feel I already know the answer that I am going to receive, which is not going to be positive for me.  But this is one of those situations in which, even though I know I am not going to like the news, I need to personally hear them in order to put some closure to this process.

My initial excitement turned into fear of having done a poor job, then into anxiety and finally into hopelessness.  And so today I will listen to the outcome and move on, bruised and hurt, but still standing.....because despite the bleak forecast for the years ahead, the show must go on.