It’s been one of those Monday’s. Woke up to 24 degrees, grey, and snowing. Yuck. Then the phone calls started. 
One of the brother-in-laws who has been in construction for 40 years has come to an agreement with the bank and he is turning over all the land and the three (million dollars each) houses he’s been trying to sell for the last 2 plus years. At 60 years old they have nothing … they’d already sold their house trying to keep afloat. He got a job as a caretaker that includes a small, one-bedroom house, so they’ve moved in there. He bet everything he had on this development and it’s all gone.
Then the kid who was looking for a new job called. He’s been laid off … no severance, no notice, no nothing And they said they’ll fight him getting unemployment because “they don’t want their rates to go up.” (they won’t win, but meanwhile he won’t get unemployment until it’s settled.)
THEN got a phone call about a nephew who’s been out of work for several months. He had made it to the short-list and was pretty hopeful, but he didn’t get the job.
All of which happening used to lead to sympathy eating.
But I didn’t and didn’t even want to. I did what I could for all of them … offered help/support/prayers/sympathetic ear.
I had all this emotion that needed an outlet, though, so I got on my knees and cleaned all my baseboards. Vacuumed. Cleaned the bathrooms. Then I exercised. Had some quiche for breakfast with a side of raw cauliflower. Some plain coleslaw later. Lots of water. More phone calls but nothing had changed.
It would have been unhelpful and self-indulgent to use their misfortune to justify my eating. (I mean, seriously, I feel bad for them so I eat … how wrong is that?????)
I’m so sorry for all of them. Life sucks sometimes.
