Tag: writing

An Unwanted Gift…that Became a Treasure

wackykidswriter

Shari was a pal.  A work buddy.  A lunch companion.

I admired Shari’s go-get-’em attitude.  She worked hard and stayed cheerful.  Most of the time.

She trained horses, barrel raced on a quarter horse and handled farm chores as well as full-time work.  She knew what was important to her.  Didn’t mess with distractions.  Stayed on target.

But when her marital relationship hit the rocks, she suddenly became confused.  Trying to make sense of what was happening.  Wondering what to do next.  Whether to try to make it work or walk away.

That’s understandable.  Most of us have been through those gut-wrenching times.

Her cheerful personality nose-dived into complaining and questioning and self-doubt.  Even self-pity.

All of us gathered around her in support.  But it became difficult when weeks turned into months.  All of us were weary of hearing the daily tales of woe.

One day at lunch, I gave her a little wooden box.  She was delighted.  A surprise present!  What could it be?  A special candy?  A piece of jewelry?  A homemade cookie or brownie?

Nope.

It was a note that I had written her.  Something that I thought that she needed to hear.

“Happiness is your own responsibility.”

Oh my.  You could have heard a pin drop.  Dead silence.  Her face turned bright red.  She closed the box with a snap.  Tight lipped.

Not at all happy in that moment.

I did not apologize because I knew that I had spoken the truth.

And she didn’t speak to me for a month.  Even though we sat at the same lunch table.  I was invisible.

But it didn’t destroy our friendship.

Know what?  Years later I was invited to an Open House when she and her new husband bought a house in the country. (With room for horses, of course.)  She had a new baby and her life had changed for the better.

She showed me that little box I had given her…on the nightstand by her bed.  Told me that she treasured my message.  My gift.And that it was her favorite present

Saved by Humor and Acceptance

wackykidswriter

You know, a lot of things had to coalesce to keep me safe during that rear-end accident on September 17th.  First of all, my vehicle.  If I had been driving my small Kia coupe, that Ram at high speed would have completely crumpled my car.  I’m sure that the rear end would have rapidly trapped me as the front end bashed into the car in front of me.  I would not have walked out of that one.

I would have been removed on a stretcher.

Perhaps no longer breathing.

I bought that Toyota Venza nearly two years earlier when I interviewed for that Parent Educator job in Cadillac.  Since I would be driving all over in iffy weather, I knew that I needed a better car for those conditions.  And I wanted to be ready in case they called me to work.

The job did not materialize, but I suddenly had a car suited to my back roads and winter conditions.  I had never heard of a Toyota Venza and knew nothing about them.  Doing some research after my purchase, I discovered that it had an excellent safety rating.

So my car protected me.  As the insurance examiner said after he viewed the wreck, “Your car did exactly what it was supposed to do.  It diverted the force of the impact around you instead of a direct hit.  Your car seat was not even bent.”

On the very day of the accident, I had treatment for a pesky knee problem.  The therapist and I took time for a conversation.  We each told stories and laughed like crazy coots.  Shared frustrating stuff with humor.  It felt like a genuine connection.  Magical.

Walked out of the office floating on air because I felt so accepted.  Such a warm bubble of protection.  What I remember most was feeling delighted to see us relaxed, laughing and enjoying ourselves.

Just minutes after leaving, I saw a huge Ram truck barreling toward me.  Not realizing that traffic was stopped.  I knew that he was not going to be able to stop in time.  Still feeling protected, I shrugged and said, “Oh, I’m going to be hit.”

Like “Oh well.  What’s for tea?”

That state of mind kept my body relaxed so that I didn’t injure myself during the impact.  It may seem crazy, but it softened the blow.

Kept me safe.

Who would guess that humor saved my life?

And the last thing that allowed me to walk away from what could have been a fatal accident was that the Ram’s driver hit his brakes at the very last second.  That reaction must have slowed his truck at least 10 mph, which reduced the severity of the crash.

Another fortunate turn of events that reduced the damage to me.

So it looks like events were put in motion long before this accident that changed the outcome.

I am grateful for that gift of protection.