AlanandVal

Perspective

I was all prepared to post part 2 of our busy weekend but that's not what's on my mind today. 

I woke up peacefully this morning, no alarm, just naturally woke up (that has to be one of the simple pleasures in life) and then it hit me it's Tuesday and no alarm = no good for a Tuesday morning! So, starting out 30 minutes late I jumped in the shower and started the race to get ready.  During the process I realized I had forgotten to pick up items for a meeting today, so I would have to fit that in on my way to work, no sweat, that's what ponytails were invented for - saving time! 

I get out of the house and make my pick-up, not running too far behind and I figure everything is fine.  Just as I approach the interestate I realize, "I think I left the space heater on in the bathroom".  See I have a space heater that I run in the monring during the winter, I hate getting out of a hot shower and being cold, so I keep it toasty.  Today I was in such a hurry that I left it on so I would be warm while getting ready and hopefully move faster.  Well in my haste of trying to get out of the house quickly, I wasn't sure if it got turned off.  At first I thought I was just doubting myself and it wasn't a big deal, then I got images flashing through my head of the news stories where a family thinks they turned off a heater but didn't and the house burns down. Sooooo, I turned around and headed home to double check the space heater.  I parked in the downstairs lot and then realized I didn't have the key for the lobby door.  I figured housekeeping was there, since he does the lobby first in the morning and he could let me in.  I get to the door and NO janitor.  I stand there helpless, trying to decide what to do next and before I freeze to death.  A few minutes later the janitor appears and I am in, frozen but in.  I head upstairs and sure enough, the heater was off!  Of course! All of that for nothing.

I make it to work only about 20 minutes late (well 20 minutes later than "official" start time, 40 minutes late for me).  I go to drop off the things that I picked up for the meeting, finding out someone else already brought in the same things (didn't realize I was going to bring them) and I get a call from our neighborhood Property Manager that there is a pipe leak in our building and that multiple units are leaking and sprinklers are going off.

"I QUIT! I GIVE UP!" That was all I could think.  How could so many things go wrong in such a few short hours?  Can I please go back to bed and start over?  Waking up with an alarm this time? 

Almost simultaneously I get a text about a friend who's wife has cancer and how she's having complications, and I stop. Instantly I am reminded of the multiple people I know who are ill, the co-worker who's husband is leaving her and their two girls for Afghanistan this Friday, the friend who lost her Grandmother this weekend, and all of a sudden I feel like the luckiest person in the world.

I have life so good that the most I have to complain about is running late and property that can be repaired. I should be thanking God for such a good life where I have family, friends a home, a job, my health and more blessings than I deserve. 

So, instead of posting about what I did this weekend or talking about how busy this holiday season is, I am taking some quiet time today to put things in perspective.  Something that seems especially important today.