From Times of Economic Recession to Personal Transformation – In this time of economic recession, I continuously hear stories of struggle.  Of layoffs. Of pay cuts. Of jobs changed/adjusted/ripped away. Of insurance premiums bubbling.  Of the pain of facing yourself or your family or your significant other or your peers or your friends and having to say, "I lost my job."

In this time of economic recession, I have observed the transition. The shock. The outrage. The disappointment. The panic...

In this time of economic recession, I have also witnessed the transformation.  From panic to acceptance. From acceptance to hurt. From hurt to depression.

So many of us align what we do with who we are.

And when our jobs are no longer our constant, our identities lose footing and stability.  The pain is personal.  We lean on our titles/jobs/roles so heavily, in their absence we feel we may fall into an abyss.  And how can we not when more often than not we are conditioned to believe that our work  defines us?  Think about the last time you met someone (perhaps not even in a professional setting) and the conversation quickly shifted from a name exchange to a "And what do you do?"  It's part of our social DNA.  So when our jobs are no longer a part of our daily routine, what do we do?  Some of us search frantically for another job.  Some of us network. Some of us travel.  Some of us cry. Some of us cry some more.  And then a little more. Some of us question our merits, our credentials, our experiences, our self-worth.  Some of us retrieve inward and question what we did wrong.

In this time of economic recession, I have seen simplicity replace opulence.  I have seen families purge, recognizing that the expensive luxuries are just that. I have seen us return to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, tuna and crackers, fried bologna sandwiches, making a meal out of spam.  Renting movies from the library, staycations. Less designer clothes, more value. And kids pulled out of dance class to spend time instead at home with vinyl spinning and mothers dancing again, arms carelessly in the air, naps gathering sweat at the base of their necks.  Smiles reigning on their daughters.   No longer sitting on the sidelines of the dance studio, behind a sterile glass.  I have seen fathers pushing swings at the local park and sharing .50 double Dutch ice cream cones from the ice cream truck instead of a quick drive-by to Dairy Queen or Rita's Water Ice.  I have seen fewer trips to the mall, more trips to the backyard where catching lightning bugs at night has made five year-olds smile...again.

In this time of economic recession, I have seen us refuel our spirit. I have seen couples lean on each other--for the first time in a long time.  I have seen spouses once left in the shadows emerge from obscurity, provide light and support.  I have seen sons cushion their mothers' falls. Sisters provide shoulders and arms and tissue and smiles to one another.  I have seen the resourcefulness of our people return. I have seen creativity. I have seen resilience.

I have especially seen introspection.  A thoughtful examination of self, unencumbered by titles and positions and money and class.  I have seen crisp Bibles swell with wear. I have seen knees ache from constant bend. I have seen courage and determination and survival and a stubborn refusal, an inability to buckle and fall.  I have seen a return to our innate resilience. Our incapacity to fold, to crumble.

I have seen God being called. And I have seen Him answer--His way and in His time.

In this time of economic recession, I have seen the best in us, the best in YOU. And although it pains me that this economic recession is hurting us, I am thankful that this time has allowed us to see all that is great in each other again--our patience, our flexibility, our courage, our determination, our STRENGTH, our perseverance.  And I hope when this time of economic recession loosens its grip on us, we hold on to this moment, this energy, this strength, this feeling of invincibility...and this love for each other.

In this time of economic recession, I celebrate your spiritual progression, the abundance of all that is great in YOU.

Excerpt from In A Time of Recession

by Uva C. Coles

LDB Press, 2009 (c)

Sophia