A summer roller coaster ride

A lot of things have been going on the past few months and I thought I'd wait until the roller coaster ride was over before I wrote my review.

First there was my foray into business ventures. I spent a good part of the last three months doing my due diligence, marketing research and writing a business plan in order secure funding to buy a business.

It was hard, I learned a lot, I found a few mentors and, in the end, I still don't have a business.

Make no mistake, I have no regrets about going through the process. The people at SCORE and WEV are amazing, caring people, and if you ever have an idea for a business, check in with these people. They have the expertise to get you on the right foot and up and running.

I learned so much: how to write a business plan, how to prepare a table of start-up costs, how to correctly do a profit and loss statement, how to project a 12-month earnings statement. It was very educational. I also learned I wasn't as clueless about the business end of things as I had been led to believe.

My only regret is that the person I was hoping to buy the business from wasn't as open with me as I was with her. After getting everything in order and turning it in to the review board, I notified the business owner of the timetable -- six to eight weeks with an answer by the end of August. She never said this would be a problem. I warned her she wouldn't hear from me during that time as there would be nothing to report.

As my loan review date approached, I emailed the business owner, letting her know exactly when I would get an answer. Her reply stated that she had sold the business to someone else.

I wasn't really sure what to think. I'd spent months on the phone with her and working with her. She knew how much I wanted this and how hard I had worked, but she never thought to tell me there was another buyer.

I was devastated on many levels. I had hoped this would be my answer to being unemployed. It felt good to be taking action, and I was excited about owning my own business. It's easier to remain optimistic when you're actively pursuing something, too. I was also eager to be generating some income.

When I opened that email, my heart sank. Fear found a foothold and my faith in my fellow human beings dropped to an all-time low. It's hard for me to fathom that someone wouldn't have the common courtesy to make a phone call.

On the same day that I found out about losing the business opportunity, in fact, in the next few moments, I got a call for an interview from a company I had sent my resume to a couple months ago. It's a great job. I think both interviews I've had with them went well. It's a job I can do well, a job I would find challenging and enjoyable. I'm once again excited about something, and I hope it works out (cross your fingers).

The day after this, we loaded up the car and went to Oregon for my grandmother's 100th birthday. It was a fabulous weekend. I was able to reconnect with family members I hadn't seen in more than 20 years. There's nothing like a good dose of family to lift the spirits.

As I was listening to my grandma and all her relatives talk about their lives, I thought about what they've lived through. Their parents immigrated from Russia, they lived through the Depression and both World Wars. My grandmother has lost her husband, her daughter and several of her siblings. Through it all, she's picked herself up and endured with love and strength and perhaps a little sadness, too. But, she's strong and so is my family.

My aunt reminded me that when a door closes, at least a window opens somewhere. You may have to crawl through it and get battered a bit along the way, but something good will come from the experience.

I gained strength from being with my family. And, like my grandmother, I'll pick myself up and keep going.

Right now I'm looking at all the gifts I've been given.

I have a wonderful husband, two adorable boys and a supportive family, even if they're all miles away. I was able to spend at least one glorious summer with my sons, going to the beach, going to movies, playing video games, reading and just horsing around. That is something I never thought I'd be able to do.

I've learned a lot about myself.

I don't like housework and no matter how much time I have on my hands, there will always be something better to do. I realized how much of myself I'd given away to work. I've learned to balance my life better. I've rediscovered they joys of cooking, art and crafts. I've benefited from quality time with friends.

I've also realized that despite the dwindling bank account, my life is rich. Rich with an amazing, colorful family and friends that are worth more than fine gold.

I've also realized that it's taken me losing my job to make me slow down and take stock of what I have and not take it for granted. Life is beautiful despite its roller coaster ride, or just maybe it's more beautiful because of it.