Count me among those who find this story too familiar. For me it was an unexpected Wednesday morning meeting with random men in suits. After that I felt like no job was safe again in the future. Maybe that’s a somewhat healthy fear.

But if there is a silver lining, it’s that those who do find work during a recession feel more grateful and enjoy their job more. The flip side of feeling like you are caught up in something larger than your own power is knowing that — when we do catch a break — sometimes we are luckier than we deserve.