"I can't win!" Seems to be my mantra lately. I have been a hard worker my whole life. My first marriage was a complete failure but had important life lessons, but I always had a good job, made good money and had a beautiful place to live... although we did not have any children, thankfully.
My second marriage is amazing. I put all those lessons to use and found my best friend. We have had a beautiful baby girl and are very happy. But for some reason, we keep having really hard times. before I had the baby I wanted to make sure we would be ok, I accepted a higher paying position with better benefits (and a further commute). I went back to work when she was 7 weeks old. I wasn't quite healed yet and was having issues, but worked through them. My mother inlaw was going to watch the baby, but my father inlaw suddenly became very ill. I quickly discovered. I could not afford 9 out of 10 day cares. I found that a neighbor had a daycare... and although it was affordable... I could not handle the cost. Within one month, she got thrush, a cold, a virus, pink eye... they propped the bottle, which gave her gas. There were so many children and distractions, she couldn't sleep or eat much. She came home exhausted and starving every night.
It was heartbreaking, I spent hours looking for an affordable day care, I posted ads, I interviewed people...(I was surprised at how many strange people there are on this planet and how they actually are allowed to watch other peoples children) anyway, needless to say, I about reached the end of my tolerance of humanity, was frustrated beyond belief and didn't know what to do. I made too much to qualify for assistance paying for a decent liscenced daycare, but did not make enough to afford it on my own.
So working 40 hrs a week, commuting, and coming home to a sick child who had a worse day then me was hard. But then, this wednesday, my great new boss let me go. Now I was only at this job 6 weeks, quit my previous job to take this job and I may not qualify for unemployment. There are not a lot of jobs out there... and we were already broke... the baby is healing but we don't have the rent, or the this months bill money and to top it all off, I had to give my last two days pay to the sitter.
I can't win.
Layla Young