I'm the kind of person who internalizes stress until it gets to a point; I'm not there yet but it's still a stressful time, and the holidays coming up will just add so much more to that.
I don't think you're looking for sympathy. This place can be a great sounding board, a way to vent, sometimes in ways one can't to other people. I can't relate to everyone here and everything that some of the posters have dealt with and I certainly can't relate to individuals who are being impacted in some of the ways we've already discussed (child marriage, extreme poverty, and more) that's for sure. I do appreciate gaining all the information I have from everyone here though.
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I was about to leave for an errand a bit ago (to go to the library to pick up some movies) when my mom texted and asked if I wanted to stop by and pick up some leftovers she had of a meal she made for her and her neighbor last night. Since I was going to be out I said sure. I timed it so I could catch her during her lunch.
I get there and my mom slid some papers across the table at me....voluntary severance offer from her company with a decision needed by November 15th. She's been with the company 39 years (40 in March) and presently works in accounting. The offer was sent to anyone over 55 and has been with the company 5 years or more. If she doesn't accept the severance package there is still a chance (and really people are reading likelihood) of you being let go anyways but without the additional funds. She does have a pension with the company (that ceased to exist for new employees in 2018). My mom starts to cry, then I start to cry (because really it's my mom I don't want to see her cry). She's 62 and retirement age is 66 and 2 months. She planned on retiring with this company. She can start collecting Social Security but loses out on $600/month as she is not of full age. I mentioned on another thread to someone that while my mom is working from home (as was my husband for about 3 1/2 months or so) she lost a portion of her 401K due to the stock market and she doesn't have the decades we presumably have that would allow for a rebuild.
FWIW this company she works for I used to work for. They aren't the nicest company when it comes to layoffs and firings. I knew people who were 6 months from retiring even a person 1 month from retiring and the company fired them. From what my mom knows they did not let go of underperformers first, they opted to the route of getting the higher salaried, pensioned and those who are up in age all of which often goes hand in hand.
She's a wreck now understandably so.