A good day for stocks

So yesterday was a good day for Semtech stock.  After being lower for quite some time, stocks rose about $3 a share.

Much of the increase in value can be attributed to the news that Semtech has discovered a way to make one of it’s small divisions “more profitable.”

Unfortunately, in this economy “more profitable” almost always means “fewer employees.”  In this case, apparently it will be “more profitable” for Semtech to operate without the 15 people in Russ’s group.  Including Russ.

 

This is going to be a new experience for us.  In 2005 the company Russ was working for was closed and he was laid off, but it was a very different experience.  He got to work for 2 months after the layoffs were announced and we had about 5 months of severance.  The economy was fairly robust and he found a new job almost immediately.

Yesterday he met with the HR person, was given 2 cardboard boxes to pack up his belongings, and then he was escorted from the building.  He was given 6 weeks of severance, 7 days of vacation pay, and told that we still own some of our stock options. 

Good thing stocks are up.

 

I lay in bed last night, thinking that now we will be able to cross another of life’s big traumas off our our life list.  We’ve experienced the death of a parent, worried about the death of a child, and now we’re going to get to learn how to be unemployed. 

Oddly enough, I feel like I’ve been somewhat prepared to have this happen and still be able to trust in God and His plan.  I don’t want to have to change our lifestyle.  It’s been fun to have this great job and to be able to relax some of our financial worries.  But it’s seems clear that that experience is over and we’ll have to learn a new way of living.

I might regret Russ taking that job; it worries me that we living in this big house.  But I know both of those things were put into our life by Heavenly Father—I know that as well as if they had come with a card signed by Him personally.  So it seems this must mean it will all be ok, whatever ok means.  However long ok means.  Wherever ok means.  (And boy does it hurt me to write that one!)

 

I am committed to one thing.  That this is going to be the best experience possible, for all of us.  We are going to enjoy having Russ around—what a treat it will be after his 90 minute round trip commute and long work days.  Happily I had just bought tickets last month for Mahon and Cindy Lynn to come out after Christmas.  So Christmas will be small, but at least we’ll all be together. 

Now I need to get dressed; we’re going to start our first morning as an unemployed couple by going to the temple.  Somehow I think we’re going to need all of the help from above that we can get…