Trying to keep spirits up after losing father, job
“My dad passed away in June. He was at home. It was just a few days after Father’s Day. He had been dealing with cancer for eight years. This time, it was the final K.O.
“It was also roughly a month before he was able to retire officially. In a sense, at least to me, that was adding insult to injury.
“It’s been hard, for my sisters and my mom especially. She told me that she’s cried herself to sleep. That’s how much it hurts. They were married 41 years.
“I’ve been looking for a job. The last place I worked was 7-Eleven. That guy let me go due to my being too slow. One day he just said, ‘OK, you’re off the schedule,’ and that was it. He didn’t bother to discuss things with me like, ‘Any way I can help you out with this?’ I’m still agitated about that.
“I’ve applied for other jobs since then. I’m just trying to stay positive and keep my spirits up by saying, ‘Everything will be OK. Just keep on trucking. You’re not the only one going through this.’ It hasn’t been easy, but I’ve just got to keep trying.”
— Kevin Alford, 38, who’s living life with autism
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