Comment: What comes after being laid off?

I was recently laid off. There, I said it. The language we use when we describe job loss might include relatively gentle expressions, such as “I was let go” or “I am parting ways with the company.” While “involuntary separation” might be an accurate description of what happened to me, it is one devoid of emotion.I had a torrent of emotions, and I felt them deeply. Severance, as in “severance package,” can be defined as the ending of a relationship or connection. What comes next?Family, friends, and close colleagues gave me support. I shared the news first with my inner circle, which includes wonderful friends I have made through the American Chemical Society. I am grateful for the relationships we built as we got to know one another while serving as volunteers. The support from this circle was immediate, resoundingly strong, and exactly what I needed as I was processing the information. As I told more people, it got easier to talk about being laid off. Sometimes I found myself consoling people who were themselves shocked and upset. People in this group offered valuable advice and suggestions that had not occurred to me.I had stuff to figure out. How does the severance package work? What are my potential retirement benefits? How would this affect our family finances and health insurance? What were the expectations for transitioning work responsibilities to others? How should I support my direct reports in the interim? How could I compliantly transfer personal and nonconfidential files before losing access?