If You're Blessed And You Know It...
A couple days ago I was working in Mishawaka when my car broke down! I went to leave work, turned the key and Nothing. I was surprised at first, because my car is really reliable and had been running just fine on the way there. Then I thought "oh yeah, this makes sense because my phone is also not working well, and my body is not working well and when it rains it pours." I am going to be completely honest and say I immediately started to throw myself a pitty party and feel bad for myself. I mean reallyyyy could something just go right for a change?! I went inside and talked to one of the employees, in the store that I was doing interviews in, and asked for a auto shop recommendation. She immediately took me under her wing and began calling auto shops and wrecking companies. She must have been able to sense my frustration because In between phone calls she told me about her recent car troubles and how she has decided to change her mindset. She said rather than think “why did this happen to me?” she now says “how can I fix this?” and immediately goes into action staying positive the entire time. I loved the way she expressed this to me! I really needed to hear it.
We continued to call around and we were not having any luck finding a towing company that could tow me that night. The woman helping me was also concerned about me finding a safe, and reliable tow. She even offered me one of her guest rooms like we were close friends. This was the first time I had ever even spoken to her! She finally suggested that I call my dad back to see if he could come get me. That is exactly what I did, and of course within a couple minutes, my dad was on the way! My lovely parents had over an hour long drive to get to me and once they arrived we spent hours in the parking lot trying to diagnose and fix my car. We went across the street to buy a new battery. My dad changed the battery and kept working away. Unfortunately we weren’t having any luck and eventually had to load my car on my dads trailer (which was quite a feat in itself!) And when I say “we” during all of this, I mean my dad. Ha! Between his strenght and know-how and my moms kindness (she brought me a card and a snack pack!) I was already feeling so much better, and so blessed.
We ended up getting home after midnight and when I walked in the door I poured myself a glass of wine and sat down to watch some reality tv ha! Don’t judge. ;) So anyways, on one of the shows I watch, a woman was diagnosed with stage three cancer. Her attitude was extremely inspiring! She has always been a happy go lucky kind of gal but watching her deal with this major event in her life had me nearly in tears. They only time she ever showed any sign of being upset was when she had to tell her friends. She explained to the cameras that she didn’t like having to tell people, because it made them so sad, and when she would do so she continually was apologizing as they cried. How on earth could I sit there and be upset about my health issues, my car breaking down, my phone not working correctly, while she was going through something so heavy and handing it so well?! Next up was Teen Mom, where one of the young girls who has muscular dystrophy finally received her wheelchair so that she can move around with more ease than before. Seeing her little face light up when she climbed into that wheelchair, and her tiny tiny little self exploring this new way of life, once again had me close to tears! She is so young and going through something more difficult than I have ever faced, and she is just Happy! These moments of strength and perseverance shown to me that night were so eye opening. I will remember these two lovely girls, and their personalities while fighting such intense battles, and that will keep me grounded and feeling grateful for their strength, which I will continue to learn from.
