Slawie,
I've been a labour and employment lawyer for 20+ years now, and one thing I have learned over time in this career - much of which is dealing with the negative fallout of job loss, from the employee side - is that the cliche about these things being new opportunities is often true. I have seen many, many people lose a job only to find that another door opens for them. Just keep looking forward. Keep us all informed as you do, and we'll all keep sending positive vibes your way.
Rick