Lucky Me

There are moments in time where perspective can define the experience.  There are times when all it takes is a different point of view to change the entire story.  I had an experience that gave me this opportunity, and here it is.  Over the weekend my car broke down in Bellevue, which is about two and a half hours away from my house.  I was stuck in a parking lot far from familiar.  I didn’t know where to take my car and I didn’t know how I was going to get it there.  I felt completely helpless.  I wanted to cry and feel sorry for myself.  I wanted the universe to know how unfair this was and I think I needed some sympathy to justify everything that was happening.  But fuck that.  I learned a huge lesson this weekend.  I learned that I am never alone.  I learned that my friends will go out of their way to help me and strangers will offer a helping hand, even though they don’t know anything about me.  

Here’s the rundown 

-The minis and I had just had coffee with my other half and he was still within a 10 minute drive from where we were.  He was able to meet up with us and help us figure out what to  and how to do it.  He even took us to get food while we waited for our tow truck.  He arranged his work schedule so he could followed the tow truck to the auto shop.  And then he dropped us off safely at the ferry terminal.  

-The minis were quiet and calm while I was having a panicked freakout.  They didn’t fight or argue.  They didn’t complain that they were hungry.  And they helped pack up as much of their stuff as they could carry on the ferry without complaining about what would be left behind.  Let me reiterate that there was no fighting or arguing this entire time.  

-I had texted one of my best friends that my car broke down.  She replied right away that she would pick me up at the ferry whenever I needed.  She told me that I could borrow her car until mine was fixed.  And when I called during a bit of a freak out she talked me down, which allowed me to start making decisions.  

-As the car was getting putting on the tow truck, a woman pulls into the parking lot and offers to give us a ride to where the car is being towed.  Another gentleman offered to help us.  Perfect strangers on a Sunday afternoon, with kindness and generosity that I sometimes forget exists.  

And because of all the help we received, it was just over two hours from the time my car broke down to the time we were at the ferry dock.  At that point, I was still far from home and still not sure what was going to happen to the car.  But our ride was waiting for us at the other end and she just made the last of my stress disappear.  

It is important to take time and really appreciate the good around us.  There are so many great people and experiences mixed into the hard times.  And it is so easy to forget the good times.  It is so easy to focus on the stress and the money and the helplessness.  But I want to hold tight to all the positive parts of this story.  

My whole weekend was amazing.  I took my minis away to an awesome hotel for the night.  Our fourth came over from paramedic school and we had a family date.  We ate sundaes that were bigger than our heads.  The minis got to do an inflatable obstacle course, they got to play basketball and order room service.  I got to go on a romantic date with my other.  We got to hold hands and make out.  We had fun and talked and ate.  The weekend was perfect in every way possible.  My car braking down was not convenient, but it didn’t take away from my perfect weekend.  If anything it helped me remember how amazing my life is and how lucky I am to have the people I have around me.