I've been in pursuit of FIRE for a few years now. I've been working and saving like crazy. In December, I found myself unemployed but was okay thanks to my savings. I was actually planning on quitting anyway to move to a lower cost of living place and work from home until I reached my FIRE goal.

Fast forward 4 months to now. I closed on a house in my new city and started packing. Only a week after my move, I was visiting my sister in a neighboring state when we got word that our grandmother was very ill. Because I didn't have a job to be back to, I decided to drive with my sister the next day the 10 hour trip back to our hometown. We got on the road as soon as my sister finished work and made it to the nursing home at 10 something PM, where mom and dad awaited us.

The staff was gracious enough to let us in for a short visit, even though it was late. I sat beside my grandmother and held her hand until mine went numb. We told her goodbye and left just before midnight.

At 2AM my dad received a call from the nursing home. When they had gone in to check on her, she had passed.

I'm going to stay with my family until after the funeral. Or as long as I want. I get to stay here and support my grieving family without having to worry about running back to a 9-5 job. It's things like this that I've been pursuing FIRE for and this only reinforces my decision. Six years ago, I couldn't have done this. Six months ago, I couldn't have done this. But now, thanks to my pursuit of FIRE, I can. FIRE has given me a wonderful gift and I can't wait to see what other gifts await.