We've all had it happen. A stubbed toe, spilled coffee, forgotten bill, broken window, leaky drain.... most of the time we just tip our head and want to conjure up all the curse words we've ever heard , or sometimes we look to the sky thinking 'Why Me?!?'.
Today was one of these days. I woke up [an hour earlier than usual because Dustin's work schedule is wonky this week] with a sore back after very little sleep due to Porter's insistence to go outside several times throughout the night, spilled my breakfast, got stuck behind a school bus on the way to work, forgot my lunch at home, found out that a replacement piece of glass for the coffee table is way too expensive, had to deal with a headache throughout an unusually hyper afternoon class, discovered that the boys [Porter and my sister's furry child, Koa] had tried eating a box of extra wood flooring from her remodeling project, and THEN on my way home... my car was hit by another driver. [Note to people operating vehicles of any kind: When you are at a red light and it turns to green.... PLEASE, oh please, drive forward and not in reverse! You'll only upset the person you back into.]
I spent the next hour waiting for a police officer and a translator for the driver of the other vehicle freezing my butt off in the parking lot of a gas station. After finally figuring out each other's insurance and contact information I was again on my way home.
Once back to Burbank I stopped at the Post Office [What? Burbank has a PO? It's tiny... but we have one!] to check the mail and see if any Christmas presents we ordered online had arrived. Carol, a distant cousin on my dad's side of the family, is the postmaster and is always eager to chat. As I waited for Carol to finish helping the man waiting in front of me I was geared and ready to unleash my complaints about the car accident and stupid drivers and how he ruined my pretty new [to me] car....... when she turned to me and said 'Do you want to meet one of your cousins?' as she motioned to the man she was helping. I introduced myself as Carol explained the relation and then he was happily on his way. He was very friendly and was thrilled that a present for his wife had arrived.
After he left, I was again ready to dive into my story about my horrible day. That was when Carol turned to me and said, 'He's terminal... but you'd never know it'.
At that moment I was able to finally see my day in perspective. This man, like so many who are around us every single day, was living on borrowed time knowing that he had a limited future... but was he complaining about his day? No.
When I went back to my car I found myself nearly in tears. How dare I? How dare I dwell on the mere blemishes in my life when there are countless people who are thankful for each day they are given... whether it be good or bad.
So today, instead of complaining about my day and my car, I choose to change my perspective and be thankful instead. I'm thankful that I have a bed to wake up in. I'm thankful that I have a wonderful dog who is a big part of our family. I'm thankful that I have food to spill and forget at home. I'm thankful that I have a job to go to. I'm thankful that I have a place for Porter to play during the day [and I'm thankful that the floors were already finished and the box of flooring was only excess pieces]. I'm thankful that I have a car, and insurance. And last but not least, I'm thankful for my health.... and the opportunity to meet someone who without even knowing it has changed my perspective on 'bad days'.
