A loss of employment

Rain fell in cold splatters against the window pane. "I am not turning on the heat yet," I decided. "I can put on another sweater. 62 isn't so bad." Honestly, I wasn't sure I would be able to pay my electric bill if I started worrying about heat. For some heat might be a necessity. For me at this moment, it was a luxury, something I would have to do without - at least for a couple more months. I had been unemployed for 5 months now. I had looked for work but without much hope. Afterall, who wanted to hire a 50 something woman with health problems? I had budgeted my savings carefully but now I was starting to get worried. I owned my home, but real estate taxes were coming due. If my utility bills increased, my budget would be strained to say the least.

There were days when I hadn't needed to worry so much. Jack was still alive. He had placed a heater in the pond in the backyard to keep it clear for wildlife that might need water through the winter. When I found the $400.00 electric bill, I nearly hit the roof. Kindness to nature is lovely, but even in our best times, a $400.00 electric bill was excessive. Jack had laughed it off. "You should spend when you have it," he had said. Now that Jack was gone, I remembered that time with mixed emotions. "You were such a good person! Why am I so upset that we didn't set more aside for our retirement?"

Alice sat down on the sofa and pulled a comforter over her legs. Job hunting was exhausting and she needed a break from filling out applications. She reached over to the side table and accidently knocked over the stack of books she had been meaning to get to. "I can't do anything right today," she thought to herself. She had to throw off the blanket to get up to pick up the books. Thoughtfully, she looked at the titles. A Guide to Retirement "I wonder when I picked up this book?" Alice opened the cover. Inside the front cover was an inscription: "Dear Alice, the love of my life, I knew you would find this book eventually when you finally got around to reading all the books you've set aside for retirement. Know that I love you and look forward to our retirement years together. Love, Jack."

Alice sighed deeply. Jack had loved her, more than she was capable of loving him back. Now he was gone and all their retirement plans were for naught. She was able to get through each day not thinking about him, planning out ways to survive . . . yet, he still found ways to reach out to her even now. "Oh, Jack, I miss you so much!"