2018--Year of Loss

My husband stopped into the flower shop today. Since he delivers car parts to the store next door, I thought he came in for a quick visit. I was wrong--he had come in to tell me he had lost his job. After 17 years with the company, he was canned. Management told him that the store was going in a new direction, and effective immediately, he was fired. His friend was fired too, but he drove to a rival parts store and was hired. As I age, I know that my relatives age too. This year we said goodbye to two uncles, a cousin, the husband of a cousin and my 92 year old dad. One day I woke up and my 2 algae eaters and 2 pictus catfish had died. I followed the advice of a young sales associate at the fish store and added a new filter and a water change, killing all the beneficial bacteria that keeps nitrate levels in check. My poor fish. That same day, I shopped at the mall and two other stores and lost my set of keys for the stores. I have lost a warm red mitten that my daughter gave me as a gift. The weight of loss is heavy.