Because I am married to an entertainer, we are not always together for the stars-in-your-eyes-kiss, and the clink of a champagne glass on the first moment of a new year. But after a challenging few months we were happy to welcome the New Year quietly with one other couple at our home. A nice fire spread warmth and light in the room. We played a few board games, talked and waited for the year to end. It was ideal.
As we sipped the bubbly, Lenny said, “That was a good year! No cancer, and nobody close to us passed away. Thank God.” Honestly, I had not given much thought to the year 2009 as a whole until that moment.
Yes, it was a very good year. As I looked back, I realized that all of our needs were met and we are healthy. What more could we ask? Well, we could ask for a job for my sister, Jeanette.
When I think of the fact that my sister has relentlessly pursued work for more than a year, without crying or whining or self-pity I remember something that my mom would have said: “You’re a better man than I am!”
Our mom was always saying things for a laugh like “My, you look extinguished!” If she ran into some blowhard colleague of Dad’s at a company party, she was known to say to the man, “I haven’t seen you since you were a girl!” One time she even “nudged” someone into a swimming pool at a summertime Rotary gathering because a) the party was getting dull, and b) he deserved it. She knew this to be the case when she received a round of applause.
Seriously, I’ve only seen my sister on the verge of tears one time in these months. She has somehow managed to preserve her mental and physical health, and is not wasting time. Her motto is “Don’t quit 5 minutes before the miracle.” She knocks on doors, fills out applications, makes contacts, and can stretch a dollar until it screams for mercy.
Jeanette has a Master’s Degree and a wide breath of experience. She ran a non-profit for nine years, investing herself completely in their mission. Yes, she is about to turn 60, but she is an angel/bulldog who never quits. Doesn’t maturity, a good work ethic, and a strong sense of duty count for anything? Her consolation is that there are people who are even more extinguished who can’t find a job either!
Unemployment is a huge issue facing our country, and indeed, the world. So that’s my prayer for this year. I pray for hope for those of you who are tempted to give up, and for those who persevere, the reward of a job. Maybe the miracle is only one minute away!
Patty Luzzi has lived on the Eastside for 32 years. Readers can contact her at pattyluzzi@yahoo.com.
