For the entire time I have known my hubby he’s worked for the same large retail company. He’s worked his way up from the warehouse to managing stock for every store in the UK.

He’s had years of working on/managing national projects on top of his normal job role. Hence very long hours, constant travel all over the country and the need for us to re-arrange many family holidays.

As much as it isn’t now the vocation he wants, we’ve been thankful he’s had a relatively secure job with a reasonable pay packet.

Plus, if it wasn’t for us both working there many moons ago, he’d never have met me. Obviously for that he has to be eternally grateful!!!

However, six weeks ago he was told he was surplus to requirements. He’s now on garden leave. As much as he had been thinking about how he could change his career, it was a huge shock to the system suddenly to think he would not be employed. The first time since he was 17.

Aside from getting married and having children, its probably one of the biggest changes we’ve ever experienced. It has always been a factor in our life together.

To some extent, it was expected. The company has been going through some huge changes, but we did begin to hope it wouldn’t happen once they changed the redundancy policy to his, and a lot of his colleague’s, detriment.

We were about to take a change in direction anyway. Something we were planning to work on to enable him to leave his job, so I’m really hoping….actually I’m pretty certain, that this is a case of divine timing. I’m a great believer in things that are ‘meant to be’.

It is very daunting, but we’re staying positive.

It helps that we have amazing family and friends who are extremely supportive, not to mention our children who always make us laugh and see the brighter side.

We’ve been talking about the situation a lot recently. Lil man obviously picked this up and had a question to ask….

‘Does Daddy not have a nursery to go to any more? Is that his bad news?’

If only it was as simple as finding Daddy a new nursery!