Ironically, almost a year ago, exactly, I started to explore the possibility of getting out of my dead-end job forever.
My exploration ended abruptly when I realized I'd do much better with some kind of income on the side, plus as few more lifestyle plans. My husband really wasn't all that enthusiastic about retirement, and I didn't want to move forward if we were not both on the same page. Plan A -- my early retirement dream -- got shoved back on the shelf.
Four months later, my husband had a minor stroke. We are gloriously lucky ... he's almost fully recovered! But he needed me at home for the next couple of months -- just long enough for me to run out of leave pay and my FMLA allowance AND force me to pay full health insurance. He did not have state disability.
Suddenly, the shelved Plan A became Plans A-Z. Now I get a fair pension plus uninterrupted health insurance.
As my husband recovers, my in-laws are starting to need more help. We have other relatives down the line who may also need help in the next 5-10 years.
Meanwhile, I'm also looking at the need for one or both of us to bring in some more income within the next 2 years.
Our golden season of leisure and travel? Ain't gonna happen!
Under the circumstances, that's a Very Good Thing. Those old dreams can't happen now, unless things go terribly wrong for us, or for those close to us. Gratitude for The Now is the only appropriate response! But somehow, I feel we've been shorted.
