Towards the end of ’08 I was sending mom whatever extra money I could pretty regularly. She’d been unemployed for months by that point and was struggling to buy groceries, much less pay her mortgage. She sent me a greeting card shortly before Thanksgiving with this written inside.

11/20/08
Dear David,

I deposited your check today. I can’t thank you enough. I’m diligently looking for a job, but there aren’t that many out there. I asked at the bank, and they said they were on a hiring freeze. Pretty much every entity is in the same mode. I wish I could talk to you about what happened to me relating to my investment income.

The school board is woefully confused about what people need to know when they retire or are let go because of funding.

Anyway, I keep hoping that something will come up soon. I’ll take anything I can get. I know it seems as if I’m not trying, but it’s really hard to have $24.00 in cash and only one credit card I can use for anything.

You and Jen are great! I don’t know what I’d do if I couldn’t talk to you both.

I love you,
Mom