Last Thursday, I was laid off after working for the same company for six years, eight months and two days.  There was certainly a part of me that felt panicked, worried and sad.  I have friends there who I will no longer see frequently.  It’s been comfortable and “safe” there.  It was the first company I’d ever worked for as a “permanent” employee.  How could I not be feeling such things?  But there was another part of me that felt relieved and–dare I say it?–happy.  Maybe that makes me odd.  But it felt like a cycle in my life–a long and difficult cycle–had come to an end.  And I was glad to be done. [Read more…]