Taking it for granted

My husband is an early riser but today is different, he sleeps in a little, he gets up a little after 6:00. He wakes and his routine begins with a shower, coffee, a bite to eat and then he comes back to my bed side. I love our Saturday morning conversations. Usually they are in a nearby coffee shop where he buys me a scone that goes perfectly with my cup of tea. Well today there is no time for a visit to our coffee shop. He quickly heads out the door as he has a project in the barn to work on. It isn't long before I convince myself that I too should get up. The whole house is calm and no one but me is stirring. It is an unexpected "Saturday morning quite", even the television is still sleeping. I rise to rummage through the fridge because my tummy has been with out for the past six hours. I find a gold mine and now the challenge of what to choose is just to much for me. I pour myself a little juice and then snack on several different things, no choosing required. I settle back underneath my warm soft green comforter that matches perfectly with my walls and little accent pillows. The whole time taking it all for granted.

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of spending some "work" time with my dearest friend. I drove down to stay at her lake house. The drive alone was worth the trip. As I am driving I notice every crevasse with in the earth stuffed with different kinds of Gods creations. With each wind in the road I smile as I am sure this picturesque road is written about in some travel book neatly tucked on some one's shelf. I arrive and I am greeted with a smile and a hug. This is a worry free zone there is a pleasant and relaxing aroma in the air. It doesn't take long before we are in the kitchen, I cook dinner and then we sit and enjoy supper with a beautiful fire in the back ground. We manage to leave the table and head towards the fire as we begin to "work" on how we might "Inspire Texas". Everything is perfectly kept and everything we could need is readily available. Our choice of wine, an array of teas and plenty of time. Great conversation and a vision for a better Texas. The next morning we sit with a cup of hot tea in hand and peacefully watch as birds fly in to feed. We even catch a glimpse of well...umh... a " extraordinarily unique" looking squirrel. Deer stop and gaze inside as if we are fish sitting in a fish tank. We are all perfectly content with sharing one environment. After nibbling on a little homemade bread and some honey we get in the car and drive around the lake. We take in the lakes beauty and all its splendor. It is the perfect weekend. Much rest and a little bit of 'work". The whole time taking it all for granted.

The next day I am scheduled to conduct a workshop for the faculty and administration at Canyon ISD. I work late the night before making sure everything is in order.  I am ready and before the sun rises I am raring to go. I begin to load my car neatly stacking my goods in the trunk. I turn my car on and place my purse and phone in the front seat. Finally everything is loaded, I close my hatch and walk around to get in my car. I reach for the door handle and its locked, I check every single door and their locked all of them locked. This horrific reality flows through my whole body. It is like someone is pouring ice water over my head while I am standing out side in freezing temperatures. I am tense unable to relax. I yell "REALLY! TODAY!" No one answers so I do the only thing I know to do,  I call my Jacob. He tells me gently to calm down and just take his car. He said it again," take my car and go I will worry about the locked car".  I begin to cry and sadly explain that I can not do that because all my materials are locked in my car. He tells me to call and warn someone of what is happening. I explain "my phone is also locked in my car" and I have no ones number memorized. It is only minutes when he arrives with his buddy in tow. They try for almost an hour before they decide they will not be able to unlock my car. The whole time I stand in the bitter cold watching as if that might help matters. Finally I borrow my daughters phone and begin to call lock smiths. The first lock smith assures me he can get to me in a couple of hours. He explains because I live out in the country the fee will be my first born or my right arm which ever I prefer. Well at least that's what I heard and my response to him is, REALLY!

 

I am in a full blown crisis and totally panicked. No matter how much I want to follow through with my commitment I am unable to at this time. Finally some common sense arises and I take my husbands car and head to my workshop. Frantic I go over a new plan, a new way to present, a presentation with out audio, visual or handouts for that matter. Finally I think I may see some light at the end of the tunnel. I am only about 3 miles from reaching my destination, when the unthinkable occurs my car shuts down. It dies and again I yell "REALLY YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME". At this point I am angry, frustrated and yes ready to throw in the towel. I get out of my car and walk around the car telling it exactly what I think. I scold it asking how it could possibly treat me like this. If you were driving on Highway 60 on Martin Luther Kind Day and saw a crazy lady on the side of the road. It was me. Bless your lucky stars for not stopping to help this crazy woman. I am beside myself and I just sit on the ground, why well because my phone is sitting in my locked car back home. I have no way of crying out for help. 

 

I am gently reminded that our families in poverty live like this everyday. Every day is a crisis and they may not have a Jacob to call for help. Some don't have a soft green comforter to snuggle underneath when things go wrong and they certainly don't have a  lake house to take refugee in. This story goes on and gets worse but I dare not bore you with more details. The lesson is learned. My eyes are opened to all I take for granted daily. The worse things I take for granted is the people in my life. In middle class we have networks of people built in to help when we are in crisis. Take that network out and you will find yourself sitting on the ground on the side of the road of a major highway.  

 

Later that day I sit under my soft green comforter and watch Toy Story 3. At the end of the movie Andy said something so profound, about his toy Woody, as he was gifting it to a child.   Andy said, "The thing that makes him special, is that he'll never give up on you, ever. He will be there no mater what". We all need someone in our life that will never give up on us and that will be there no matter what. I can't imagine how my day would of turned out had it not been for the Navigators in my life. Again I go back to Judgment, we must do away with it because unless we've walked in those same shoes not similiar shoes we just don't truly know.