Jill...thank you!

It has been six weeks since I last updated this blog. My intention was never to be away for such n extended period of time. For those of you that read my January 29th post, you know that I featured my own life situation as an example of one of the many people who has been affected by the down turn in the economy. I was looking to write a piece on the experience of those in my McKinley Hill neighborhood who are suffering the effects of joblessness and losing there homes. It occurred to me that the the best piece I could write was the one I knew the most about, My own personal situation. Thus the post of that date was made and the difficulties following that post resulted in my six week absence.

I am happy to inform all of you who sent me so many kind and thoughtful emails expressing best wishes while I tried to find work to save my home, that I am on better ground. I am still in my home and although still recovering, the unexpected generosity of family members in England and Ghana and friends here in the Pacific northwest who helped connect me to part time work have helped me earn some income to bring me out of the uncomfortable. I am still looking for the market to improve and for my woodworking venture to become profitable, but I have managed to restructure my life over the last six weeks, catching up on bills to maintain the core and shell of my life and identity.

My focus this week, is to express deep gratitude for all of you who were thinking about me and for all who gave me information and ideas about how to get out of the situation I was in. Most of all I will like to thank my girlfriend Jill for the person she has been and the role she has played in my life over the last few months.

Jill showed me over the last 90 days what it is to be committed and loyal, while allowing me to never feel I was less than the man she met on November 22nd, 2008. She taught me many lessons about life and has been my steady guide and confidant through this transition I have come to embrace. She has allowed me to solve the challenges on my own and never thought to rescue me. She respected my need to maintain my dignity when unexpected circumstances presented themselves. She is there for every job interview with a phone call wishing me luck before hand and a phone call after to find out how it went.

Jill, had no reason to stand by my side, we only met just before Thanksgiving. She saw something in me that made her want to make me a part of her life. She saw my gifts and my talents and offered me hope that this too was a phase in life. We write each other old fashioned letters often, sometimes I recall the experiences of our grandparents during the depression of the 1930's. As a fellow creative soul and artist, she keeps tabs on our local Tacoma list serve (an arts daily email posting service of happenings) and has found many free events, talks, shows and entertainment for us to attend and appreciate some of lifes offerings. She has been wonderful in not putting pressure on me to take her out for dates or to buy her things like flowers I so much wanted to get for her to express my appreciation.

Jill's unwavering support, her unselfishness, the love and class that she has shown has solidified for me my sense of her and the love I feel for her grows everyday as we continue to witness each other and develop our relationship one day at a time. Never once did she allow me to doubt who I am. When I was at my lowest and in tears, my self-esteem none existent, she chose her words carefully during fights and arguments. I often say to friends, you never know who you have in your life until you go through something difficult with them. Well, I know the quality person I have in Jill. We still have some growing to do. We still need to make room for one another's voices as we continue to grow and discover each other away from from the struggles of the recession.

It is my turn to turn my attention to supporting her. I hope she will allow me to be there for here as she embarks on a life discovery of her own. She is very special to me and I hope she knows how much this man loves and respects her.

Some in the situation I have found myself in have not been as fortunate to have the support of someone like Jill. I have expressed my appreciation to her personally, yet I feel the need to publicly acknowledge the role a partner like Jill plays in the life of so many individuals facing the realities of this recession.

Next week, I will return to writing about the topics I observe around me that move me to comment.