Transitions

Part of the reason for my anxiety/depression this summer was that we were facing a big change. J has worked at at the aquarium for eighteen years (more if you count the years he worked there in late high school/ early college). It can be consuming work: you are on-call if things break down or there are power outages, days off change depending on frozen fish shipments or stranded marine life. J has always taken the care of the animals very seriously and has not just loved, but has been passionate about his job. I worked there for a few years. My sister worked there. My mother worked there.... The boss, our manager, is like a big brother to us.

The last few years, Jason has begun to feel the full force of the physical nature of his job. He spent hours cold, wet, and sore lifting heavy objects. And we have had to face the real possibility that as the years progress and Toe's CF progresses, we may need to live closer to the city and our CF clinic. We'd been thinking about these issues, but had not come to any kind of conclusions....

Then this summer, a friend offered J a job. He would be working from home, providing technical and customer support for an online company. The conditions were pretty ideal. Even though it was really a job J couldn't refuse, it took him a lot of time and soul searching to make the decision.  I was definitely part of this process, but also knew the decision was ultimately up to J.

And so we move to a new chapter of our lives. J started the new job mid-August and  left the aquarium after Labor Day.  He loves working from home and finds this new job varied and exciting. He is working an early shift, so Toe and I actually get to see him in the evenings.  For now, we will stay in the same location (we just bought a house a year and a half ago), but we could move if we needed to. If Toe has a hospital stay, J will be able to join us. There is room for advancement and skill-building in J's new position.

And we will always have the aquarium in our hearts. It was an amazing eighteen years with stories that will astound Toe when he is older....