A while ago, I was offered a job at an amazing school to be a preschool teacher- at the same time however, my current employer offered me a lead position. It was the hardest decision I've ever had to make in my professional life, but as many of you know - I took the lead job. There were a variety of reasons for this, but mainly that I loved the people I work with, flexibility to attend school, and money. With John out of work and all the bills money was huge, as the bump was substantial.

Well... loving the people I work with has changed. I assumed that the relationships I'd spent the last 2 years (or 16 years) meant something and that when I got promoted people would back me up and be my friends and help me out. However instead I was met with resistance and challenges and complete attitude changes from those I'd known the longest. People I've known over half my life are now strangers. Literally because of a title at a job that none of them even want. I do not get it. But, because of this and the behavior of it I am constantly on egg shells at work. Because literally everything I do or say is being reported. So I am terrified of failure, and even though none of the people causing these feelings wanted the job, I feel like I am not good enough for it. I feel a constant tightness in my chest and uneasiness 24/7 now. I have been in a training/leadership role in every job I've ever had. I have met resistance at most of these because I'm usually the new kid on the block when I get promoted/take on new roles/responsibilities. And it's rolled right off because I didn't have connections with anyone, so I didn't care. But now I care. I know that I'm a good trainer, that I know everything I need to excel at this position, but because of others I can't shake this weight.

I haven't changed anything in my attitude or interactions other than now I have new roles, though day to day is really not different - except the attitudes of a small group of my coworkers. Like - hold the door open for everyone but let it slam in my face, turn around and walk the other way on the street - changes. I organized tons of events last year which had great participation, this year, nothing.

So work is now a place where I dread going. I am constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop. For something I do or say to come across in a way that will get me fired. My style has always been direct. I don't really believe in  buttering people up or kissing ass or stroking egos. And now all of the sudden I feel I have to.

Add to that being a mom to a potty training 3 year old and taking 16 credits a term, and constantly running at a financial deficit, and I'm biting John's head off because I am in constant flight or fight mode.

Also there's a mass shooting like every day. And Trump might be our president. I've literally stayed up nights fretting & trying to wrap my head around that. How and why our society is so broken that this is even a possibility.

Oliver told me not to cry about the shooters because the cops always get the bad guys...which just made it worse. What kind of world are we leaving our kids?

So yeah - work is a mess, school and kid and wifing is hard, all the while the world around me is splitting at the seams.

At least the rain sounds pretty outside.