Always there are reminders that life waits for no one........and that even in sadness there are things to laugh about and be grateful for-
So this morning my son and I went to the funeral mass for my neighbor.
There were over 1200 people who attended her wake last night, and the church was completely filled so at least 600 attended the funeral this morning.
It was a beautiful folk mass-
She attended the 10:30 mass each week with her family, and the choir along with all of the instrumentalists were there. The music was very touching.
3 priests presided over the service. 2 of them retired several years ago, but came back just to make the mass special for her and for her family.
Afterwards, my son and i were stuck in the van for a while. the funeral procession was lining up in the parking lot, and we were inadvertently blocked from moving for about 20 minutes.
While waiting for the air conditioning to kick in so we could cool down the van (it's very hot and humid here today), my cell phone rang.
My son answered it.
It was my oldest daughter.
"Mom, call dad. He got fired from his job."
"What???"
"Just call him now."
I hung up and dialed his cell phone number.
Thought #1: Oh shit. What are we going to do now?
Thought #2: Well, i've been wondering for 10 years which one of us would lose their job first, so i guess now i know....
Thought #3: I wonder if he finally lost his cool and said something to one of his new bosses to get himself fired?
(sidebar---You see, his company recently outsourced all of their production work to China.
So the small R&D department he's in has had to pick up all programming work for production jobs on top of already being short-handed in running the R&D projects.
The past month or so he's gotten alot of feedback that his work has "saved" several major accounts. Yesterday his boss got an email from an engineer he'd helped saying that without him, they would not have been able to meet their commitments. It was a very nice email, except the engineer didn't mention my husband's last name, and that stuck in his crawl. The management is new, and there are lots of men with the same first name-
That plus last year his salary maxed out, and he didn't get a raise. And he wants a raise.
Praise is nice, but a raise is what makes my husband feel appreciated.
So he had few words with his boss yesterday about the oversight of his last name in the email, and i thought perhaps he'd had words this morning with his director and might have lost his temper....)
Anyway-----
After 5 rings it went to his voice mail.
I left a message to call me back on the cell.
Thought #3: So much for our vacation...
Thought #4: I wonder if he'll get any severance?
Thought #5: I hope he stops at the unemployment office before he gets home....it's still early.
No callback and more than 5 minutes had passed so i called his cell again.
Again I got his vm.
Thought #6: Boy, we're going to have a cash flow problem real soon
Thought #7: I don't think i can deal with this today....
Thought #8: He'll get another job. Don't panic.
Still no call back.
I tried again.
Got vm again.
The funeral procession began to move by then and i began the 2 mile drive home.
Sitting at the traffic light my cell phone rang.
Me: Are you ok?
What happened?
Him: What are you talking about?
Me: Why did you get fired?
Him: laughing.......
Me: Are you crazy?
Him: I was joking with them.
Me: You jerk! Joking?
I've been sitting here for 20 minutes thinking we're in big trouble!
Him: I called the house an hour ago looking for you. I forgot about the funeral.
When i called, the two girls had picked up different extensions and were fooling
around with me.
They wouldn't quit and i couldn't get a word in edgewise....
Me: You've gotta be kidding....
Him: They were pretending they were "robbers" and were busy robbing the house.
They were masking their voices, and giggling....saying things like "we're in your
silverware drawer now" and "Oh, I really love your wedding ring...they wouldn't quit .
I HAD to get their attention somehow so I told them to have you call me
immediately because i'd been fired.
Me: You had me crazy for the past 20 minutes you jerk!!!!
Him: Everything's ok. I just wanted to let you know that i would be working tomorrow- i
know you thought i'd be doing the sheetrock in the bathroom.
Me: Ok, I have to drive. I'll talk to you later.
Big BIG SIGH OF RELIEF HERE-
Thank God I don't have to deal with that today!!!
I pulled into my driveway and beeped the horn. The girls were supposed to meet me outside so that i could drive them to the pool before i went back to work.
But nobody came out.
My son and I went inside.
Neither of the girls was downstairs.
We went upstairs. Their room doors were closed and it was very quiet.
I was yelling their names by that time...
Are you going to the pool or what?
The oldest opened her door and came into the hallway.
She had been crying.
The middle one heard me and opened her door. Her eyes were puffy and red. She had been crying too- and for a while.
#2: I can't go to the pool. Daddy lost his job. I'm too upset about it to go to the pool....
me: It was a joke. Daddy was playing a joke because you guys were relentless in teasing him.
#1: a joke? are you kidding me? omg, what an as*&%!# he is!!!!
The girls looked at each other.
Ok, it was kinda heartbreaking here to think they'd been crying and worried for 1/2 hr---
But it was also very funny to watch their faces realize that he'd beat them at their own game!!!!
And then it was the 4 of us all laughing hysterically in the hallway-
Each of us realizing just how lucky we really are.
But I wouldn't want to me my husband when he comes home from work tonite, because you can bet those girls are going to be out for revenge!!!!
