Giving Thanks In Spite Of (Short story) | Special Holiday "Talent Tuesdays" in FreeCompliments Community

Hello everyone. I'm here again to share with you another project for "Talent Tuesdays". My current project is a special holiday mixed media art design whose theme is "giving thanks" in spite of one's circumstances.

Giving Thanks In Spite Of

Arturo stretched and yawned as his back tensed from the long hours. He'd taken a natural remedy as a stimulant to stay awake. Twelve-hour shifts this past few months were beginning to take a toll. But he couldn't refuse. The company mandated the hours in order to meet a supply deadline. The only problem was that the he didn't qualify for overtime pay. At minimum wage, his family was barely surviving.

But he couldn't complain. And breaks weren't long enough. He'd recently been hired after a lengthy absence from the job market.

His family had been through enough with his spotty work record. Residing with family, in a shelter, and a motel room, he vowed that if he located a decent, steady job, he'd never place his family in that predicament of uncertainty again. It's not my fault, he reasoned. The industry prefers experienced workers.

He was lucky to have been accepted at his current position on a temporary basis. If he proved adequate in knowledge and ability to multi-task on any of their equipment, then he might be considered for a full-time position.

November came with Fall weather ushering in frigid temperatures. That meant an additional cord of wood for the furnace with the holidays only weeks away.

One Monday morning, rumors of a company takeover ran rampant throughout Arturo's shift. Two days later, the voice over the loudspeaker caught no one by surprise. Ten minutes later, the employees on his shift entered the conference room.

The air was thick with foreboding as employees were advised of the sale and layoff.

A sudden stab of fear assaulted Arturo as if one of his machine tools in his toolbox had taken revenge. A strange pain rose in his throat as the manager's assistant handed him the letter as gently as she could, then quickly looked away. Arturo's first thought was to wait until he arrived home. But instantly, he tore open the envelope and stared at the heading in the termination letter. The reason wasn't important. The outcome was. No job, and the holidays were only two weeks away.

His chest began to fill as he glanced upward. Angry tears fell. But he didn't know who to blame. Fate. No. It was just the luck of timing. Why give me this job, only to take it away so soon? he questioned silently.

He exhaled, then lowered his head to see co-workers in various states of bewilderment. Wringing hands; twisting a watch or ring; scratching heads; fingering a necklace; and rolling shoulders as if to reconcile themselves with the information in the letters.

A small business, the owner explained its desire to protect its workers. Ultimately, its proposal proved fruitless in negotiations as it didn't coincide with the merger company's divestiture plans. In addition to not taking on the employees, the new company refused any type of severance package to aid the workers until they could obtain other employment.

Upon reading his letter, Arturo, being the newest employee of only six months, discovered he would be the first to be laid off in a staggered staff reduction. Their shop was non-unionized. That mean no representative to fight for them and any additional benefits.

The notice felt like an anvil in Arturo's hand. He'd broken his promise to his family.

The meeting ended. "Arturo, may I have a word with you?" his immediate supervisor beckoned.

Tears rolled down again on Arturo's cheek. He couldn't believe what was being offered to him and his family. A small studio apartment rent-free until he found new employment. And an invitation to celebrate the holidays with his supervisor's family.

Apparently, the supervisor had learned of Arturo's lack of employment history. He knew that the upcoming holidays wouldn't be bright through Thanksgiving and Christmas. In addition, he handed him a second envelope. A month's salary from his personal funds.

"Your work has been outstanding since you joined us. A true asset to the company. I'm just sorry it couldn't last to make a meaningful impact for your family's future. I've two job leads for you to pursue and have already provided personal references. Good luck to you in the future."

Arturo stared at his supervisor for a long moment, then embraced him.

"You don't know what this means not to have to break the news to my family that we won't have resources to celebrate the holidays and may become homeless again."

Arturo packed up his toolbox and cleaned out his locker. Outside, he stood by his vehicle and glanced up at the stars. A silent prayer was sent up thanking the Lord for his blessings in spite of his current circumstances. He also gave thanks for placing him in the path of his supervisor.

The dark days were behind them.

In designing my mixed media art project, I utilized the stable diffusion program, StarryAI, to retrieve a lovely image on a family celebrating Thanksgiving. Besides a family around the table, the spread contains numerous dishes. The candle is a symbol of hope lighting the way to a brighter future.

Below are my steps:

Other image I included in the design was a free-sourced one for the "grateful" language. Grateful image.

Blending elements is accomplished with Canva, my design program in which I began with a blank canvas. To it I added two layers of elements, removed the backgrounds of each, then resized and repositioned items as needed.

I positioned the black and white free background image to the left of the scene to show the family's living former situation. Placing the stable diffusion feast image to the right of the scene shows the contrast in the family's current status.