I've got a retraining package. I will be heading back to school again. This will put me in a position to continue working for the same organization. There's support from the folks in the department but goodness, I'm so salty. I've really pulled back and my current supervisors understand. I'm working on emptying my office and etc. It's tough after more than 10 years. Another coworker in my department was offered an early retirement package and they have until the end of the month to decide. They are 63 and have been there 30 years. This would leave a single person left in the department, when I first started there nearly 15 years ago there was 5.5 people in the department but now it's been stripped away. It's such a sorry state. 

I also believe that if we could figure out health insurance and work part time, we'd be fine. I've thought about this too but I'm not going to decide until I've gone through this whole process. I would be on a layoff list for up to 4 years so if another position opened up, I could claim it. 

Last week on Monday, I received an email notification from our HR for an appointment with them the following day, a week ago Tuesday and when you get that kind of notification, you know it can't be good. Apparently, I'm being laid off. Thank goodness it's not the first time so I've been through something like this before, I know the decision is a bad decision made by someone who doesn't know anything about me personally. It's someone who claimed to support the work that I do but obviously not. We are going to be so critically understaffed that it's not even funny. When I first started working there almost 15 years ago, there was a total of 5.5 people working there and now it will be 2. To be honest, I'm glad I'm being made to leave and I'm not one that is left behind. I've received an outpouring of love and support from my coworkers and immediate bosses who have said such wonderful and kind things. Thankfully for our #UnionStrong, I've got options and I will be using them. There's enough notification and options that if my first plan doesn't work out, I'll try another and another and another before I figure it out. I know that I will be okay and land on my feet even if these feet won't know what they are doing yet or where they will be. 

If I'm not able to return in any capacity, I will be sad and I think it's a horrible decision that will have long ramifications to the organization but they didn't ask me. 

I will be heading back for more schooling and pushing myself beyond my comfort zone to other things. I'm grateful for the opportunities that I have and I know I have more to give so I look forward to what's ahead.