We are in the season of Gratitude, and I just wanted to take a minute to pause to reflect on the various stages of grace I’ve experienced lately. Ya gotta laugh at how attached we can get to things and how we react to situations where things do not go as we’ve grown accustomed to them going.

I am well aware that my dilemmas hardly measure up to the devastation and loss that others face, and my heart goes out to those in need not just at this time of year, but always.

My life is absolutely wonderful! I love my life. However, there have been some hick-ups recently.

In the past two weeks, various appliances, electrical, and mechanical failures have caused us to pause and adjust.

Incident #1: T.V. goes out. Life today for many people revolves around the television set. It’s the same in my household. The demise of the T.V. in the family room and the decision to upgrade to a larger unit has lead to all sorts of changes. Interestingly enough, my husband has taken on the role of designer for a new floor plan in our family room. I’m smiling as I write this because he is the type who is so work-oriented and usually leaves everything connected with the home care up to me. But, you see he decided to go bigger with the T.V., four times bigger than our current screen. (I relate it to when we were growing up and had to have recess in the gym where we were confined to four corners as opposed to being able to roam free in the field next to our school.) As a result, a new entertainment base was necessary for the bigger screen. We also had to move the current entertainment unit somewhere else in the house. Moving the bookcase, corner hutch and entertainment unit called for all hands on deck to clean out the contents and manhandle the furniture to the only other wall in the room able to accommodate the pieces.

Now we essentially have a home theatre and have thinned out our collection of VCR tapes, miscellaneous paperback books, and children’s encyclopedias. I am grateful that we both stayed in good humor during all the activities involved in preparing for the delivery of the new T.V. And that we have the means to indulge in getting what he wanted.

Incident #2:  Washing machine malfunction. It was a normal Thursday, and I’d just put in the 4^th load of laundry. I was sitting at the computer answering some e-mails when I heard a loud clunk sound. The noise came from the washing machine, and when I investigated, I found the washer display telling me: “The machine is experiencing a malfunction. Turn off the machine so that it can reset.” As per instructions, I turned it off, and turned it on, several times, with the same results. Even unplugging the machine didn’t reset it.

Calling the manufacturer only got me confirmation that I needed a repair. I had to wait a week for someone to come to the house to confirm that the machine had suffered malfunction of two separate parts to the tune of $900 (including labor). For that kind of money, I’ll get a new machine.

At this point Incident #2 and Incident #3 intersect.

Scenario #3: Car trouble. After receiving the news about the washing machine, I get into the car to head to an appliance store to look at new washers. However, my do not hear the usual vroom upon the start of my vehicle. I just hear click, click, click. Two days before, my car ran perfectly fine. Why all of a sudden do I have a dead battery?

It took AAA an hour to get to my house. I realize I’m not going to make it to the networking event I had planned on attending that day. However, I now have time enough to research what kind of washing machine I was going to buy when I got to the store. (Yes I know I could have just ordered one and had it delivered, but I’m old-fashioned. I wanted to see it in the store to know if it really was what I wanted.)

When the AAA technician tested my car battery, he said that things looked OK and advised me to drive it for at least half an hour to charge things up.

Great! I’m on my way to buy a new washing machine. It will be charged by the time I get to the store.

No problem driving to the store, and then starting up to come home.

At 6:45 a.m. the next morning I have the car packed and jump into the driver seat to a speaking engagement. Ready for the big reveal here? Can you guess what happened? That’s right…click, click, click. Dead battery again. This time I can’t wait for AAA because I’m speaking and need to get going. I’m grateful I could just transfer my stuff to my husband’s car and get on the road for my 45-minute drive. I wasn’t even late to the event despite that fact I had to stop for gas.

The take away here is that everything happens for a reason. We don’t always see the synchronicity of the situation when it is happening, but it is always there.

Both times when I had a dead car battery, I was safe at home and could be comfortable while I waited for help. When I took my car to the dealership, it turned out I just needed a new battery…an easy fix. So now, I’m “ready to ramble” as my mother would say. Oh, I used my heightened emotional state with the car battery as a way to diffuse my pre-speaking nerves.

Replacing the washing machine is inconvenient, but that’s all. Nothing to even register on the stress scale now. I’ve already bought a new one, had it delivered and am caught up with last week’s loads.

And, I look forward to our first movie night with the big screen T.V. What do you think it should be? I’m thinking “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

 

photo credit:  canva.com