Notes From The Furlough: Day 22

Present is past; past is future.

Please discuss. How does this play out in life?

I’ll start us out. Under the shadow of COVID-10, finances are a concern for many of us. I’m no exception. The IRS can’t tell me if I qualify for a stimulus payment or when I might receive one. The state hasn’t yet made a determination on if/when I qualify for unemployment benefits. The same is true for my partner Nate. Not right now, but at some point, money for expenses could become problematic.

Today’s message reminds me that I have experienced this before and may do so again. Just after I was married many years ago, my ex was laid off work. I budgeted ferociously and developed thriftier ways of meeting basic living needs, largely by becoming more self-sufficient. When my ex finally returned to work, he was making less than he had on unemployment. In spite of the challenges, we managed to save a down payment for a house. Current circumstances are a bit more pressed in that neither Nate nor I have our usual income or an alternate stream, but I am encouraged to believe we will find a way to manage. Not only that, I have hope we will gather an unexpected blessing in these circumstances.

How about you? how does your present mirror past events, and what might that augur for a future gain?