During my quiet moments I often think back to the days when my children were young. Life was hard and very 1 for me then, because I had a(n) 2 and challenging job. I worked from morning to night.
Then I was ill in hospital. After I 3 , I went back to work, only to be told I would be 4 . The company was making budget (预算) cuts, and 5 to lay off (下岗) some workers. I was one of them. My boss handed me an envelope (信封). I was 6 when I opened it and saw the check (支票) I had received. It was 7 enough to get us over the difficult time. I was 8 , though, and left the company.
Every coin has two sides. Then my children and I had the 9 of our lives as a result of my getting laid off. I 10 a great deal of money on childcare, and we discovered how much 11 we could have on a small amount of money. We did all kinds of activities and led a 12 and happy life together.
The week before my unemployment benefits ended, I found a part-time job at a local pharmacy (药房). I 13 during the hours my sons were in school. I kept the job for eight years. The 14 I got there enabled me to find a similar job 15 I moved to another town.
When I think back to the days I 16 my job, I realize that although I was sad then, it was the 17 thing that had ever happened to me. 18 being laid off, I had the 19 to spend quality time with my children, and even to find a more 20 job to balance my role as mother and employee.
