Friday, October 30, 2009

Working Mom

I've worked at SBUX for four years. In those four years I have worked in five differint stores. Some store changes have been by choice, and others have not. My third store was one of the first in the country to close after Starbucks announced they would be closing 100+ stores. It broke my heart. The people I worked with in that store were like family to me. We went through a lot together. Our store manager told us all about 7 months after working together that she found out that she had breast cancer. I love that woman. She fought long and hard, and beat it.. but we couldn't save our store. The money just wasn't coming in. We were all pretty devistated because we wanted nothing more than to stick together as we had been doing for length of time we stood behind our manager. Giving her our strength, dedication, and love. Big business doesn't care about love. They care about money. So, when that store closed I was moved to a store that was 24 hours. After working there and having my boy in daycare for a couple months, I was asked to work graveyard. I hated the idea of it at first. I quickly realized that it meant that I could take my son out of daycare, and I could actually care for him the way that I wanted to. Even though I would only be getting 4-5 hours a sleep a day. So, I worked at the fifth store for over a year when I was told we would no longer be able to be 24 hours, because again.. the money just wasn't coming in. WHAT was I supposed to do!?! Well, I found out another 24 hour store in town needed me! I was thrilled. All of my excitement quickly went out the door when I discovered that I was not going to fit in at the new store, and it was going to bring me down, down, down. What could I do though, I had to keep working. This was my only option. I provide insurance. I will suffer with the best of them to make sure that I don't have to worry if my son gets sick how will I be able to afford it. I've been at this new store for about two months now. Two days ago I got to work and their was a note for me to call the manager. I did. She informed that they no longer needed me, and asked me if I would be interested in either stepping down, or moving stores. I don't like either of those options, but again.. I have to deal. I am at a place now where I have to figure out how, and what I have to do to change my life around so that I can continue to work, and provide insurance. I have two weeks to find a store that can offer me an opening (4am-noon) shift so that I don't have to put my boy back in daycare. I am scared. I am frustrated. I don't know exactly what is going to happen, but I do know that everything happens for a reason. Why does being a working mom, being the provider of insurance, and being a good mom have to be so complicated? I wish there were an answer to that one.

1 comment:

  1. Gah. Best Wishes with that. Scary stuff! I have a friend who worked at sbux in NYC for awhile. She really enjoyed it.
    I'm glad you had such camaraderie with your third store, and I hope you can find something like that again!

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