But What They Didn't Know

What others saw... but what others didn't know.

It was a Thursday evening.  I knew that my boss had been out of town so I waited until the last minute to ask him if I could take off for a trip we had planned.  He approved my time off but first I had to meet him at the office the next morning before we headed out.  Not the most convenient way to start our trip but we would make it work.

Let me give you a little history about what the next day meant for me.

The next day was Friday the 13th.

Some of you may run or hide when you see that date.  Not me.  I'm not superstitious and I also grew up expecting great things to happen on this day.  Why?  Because my dad always told me that it was a lucky day for him; therefore, it was always a lucky day for me.

I also love Friday's.  My son's motto is, "good things happen on Friday's."  Simple enough.  

I was a little anxious about our meeting but not too worried for several reasons that I can't disclose at this time.  It was like clockwork.

I walked in the office to meet with my boss and within ten minutes I was gone.

Literally.  Gone.

My position had been terminated and I was now unemployed.

Unemployed at Christmas.

A single mom and unemployed at Christmas.

So, we did what any other normal human being would have done.

We celebrated.  We did not cancel our trip but decided to celebrate this closed door and new season of our lives.

Explaining this to an 11 year old wasn't the easiest. Of course he was scared and fearful that we were, in his mind, now broke, poor and on the verge of losing it all.  

We made it safely to New Orleans.  I sat my son down and told him that we were going to focus on our time away from home.  We were going to use this time to focus on each other and consider it a blessing and that's exactly what we did.  We laughed.  We froze.  We laughed again until we had tears rolling down our face.  

Certainly that's not what unemployed at Christmas should look like.  Shouldn't it come with a struggle?  Shouldn't it come with sad tears?

Never doubt that God has a way of bringing peace to any and all circumstances.

Saturday, the 14th, we put aside all our worries and fears of the future.  

We started the day with room service.  I made my son a special place setting just like my mom made me when I was a little girl while away on our trips. His words to me as he sat and ate breakfast, "I feel rich."

Oh, the irony of that comment.

I can't even begin to explain the connection we made by simply walking around the French Quarter in New Orleans.  I kept my phone on DND and truly lived in the MOMent. 

Sometimes God has to slam a door because we simply won't.

Still a single mom.

Still unemployed.

Still a single mom - unemployed at Christmas.

We played.  We talked.  We used our creativeness.  We enjoyed the simplicity of the day.  No plans.  Just soaking in every single minute of the day.  

 

I had originally planned this trip anticipating that our local high school football team, West Monroe High School, would make it to the Super Dome.  Unfortunately they didn't make it and unfortunately we couldn't cancel our room.

But God...

God knew what we would need.  He knew that sitting at home would keep my mind focused on the fact... I was a single mom... unemployed at Christmas.  Who wants to sit around and think about that?  Not this gal.

I was able to share a first with my son.  He got to experience his very first NBA game.  We had a BLAST.  Heck, I don't even remember if the Pelicans won.  I just know that memories were made and our minds were able to escape our reality for the weekend.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Why do I share this with you?  Because you truly never know what one is going through.  You never know what battles someone might be facing.

I'm sure the last thing people thought as they watched our weekend unfold on social media was that I had just been let go.

They saw smiles and roller coasters... but what they didn't know.

They saw a fun trip to New Orleans... but what they didn't know.

They saw a mom and son making forever memories... but what they didn't know.

They saw incredible food and beautiful lights... but what they didn't know.

What they didn't know was that I had just been let go from my job.  I was a single mom with no other income other than mine wondering what in the world our future was going to look like.  What they didn't know is I had to fight to focus.  

It's the "but what they didn't know" that we need to always remember as we go through life.

Things aren't always as they seem or appear. 

 **sidenote**

I still like Friday the 13th and we still believe that good things happen on Friday's.