In a holding pattern

There's an associate at work who has been looking for a new job for the past 3 months. She's tried a lot of places with no luck so far, and even sent her resume into a place where she's got a good inside contact. She's got great quals and a good history but no dice. Been excited about looking at very new places like New Jersey, and thinking about a totally new life somewhere. Today she learned her mother, 84 years old, has late-stage cancer. Sometimes, there's a reason for that holding pattern that you find yourself in.