Life Isn't Fair!

Life isn't fair. Period. A concept that even a three-year old can grasp a hold of. Yet, we get to learn this lesson over and over again in life. That, isn't fair, either (in my own opinion).

The Snow family got to learn it again yesterday. James had a "All-Hands" meeting in the morning, meaning everyone that works in his office, in Germany, was present. All they were told was they would be discussing "some of the upcoming changes". It was a good thing that James didn't tell me until Sunday night, because my mind was racing: ARE they going to send us home this summer? Or, WILL they really still send us to K-town (Kaiserslautern) next summer? Or, Maybe they're going to take away the schooling benefit?

James called me yesterday afternoon and the first thing out of his mouth was, "It's worse than I ever imagined..." (long pause). In which, I jumped in, "Hello? Are you still there?" James: "Yes, I'm still in such a state of shock...I just didn't see it coming..."

Well, I won't bore you with the whole transcript of our conversation but the gist of it is that half of his team is moving this summer and fall. Not that they're being sent home early, but their time is up, they've done their 2 or 3 years and it is time for them to move on. BUT, those team members will NOT be replaced until after the move next July, which will probably be to Frankfurt. Meaning James will work on a half-staffed team for his second year, or according to him, as of last night, my last year in Germany. This is the team that even I, from the very beginning, has said is already desperately understaffed. They have way too much work thrown at them and it is a very stressful environment. James worked 25 hours of overtime this weekend...yet, they're going to cut the team in half by the end of October. In the meeting, it was stated that their workload will be scaled down, which James doesn't believe for a second!

Of course, things could change. But this is a slap in the face. And James is stuck. We are stuck. And there is essentially nothing that we can do except live through it. His managers sympathize and are actually upset by this decision but it's not a decision that was made by them. It was a call from DC... So, no matter how many conversations James has with the managers, it doesn't really matter and it will do nothing to change things.

Oddly enough, I am now the optimist in this situation that I was the pessimist about just one year ago and I've already argued that, "If you can get through the second year of what seems like will be pure hell...you may as well sign up for the third year, it can only get better, right?" James didn't seem convinced.

I see trials all around me. There is illness, injury, death, deployment, financial problems...the price of gas is a trial of it's own...but this is our big trial right now. I realize it could be worse. Yes, I realize this all too well. But, this is still huge to us, but that's life.

And life isn't fair.

Until later,

Emily