It Didn't Go As Planned...

14 May 2016, Boone, NC

I stared up into the inky night, the camper bedroom black as pitch and more than a little cold (...the heater wasn't working properly and Mother Nature really didn't give a rat's patoot). But under the blankets, I was warm and sleepy, my mind replaying events of the day as the mountain stream we were parked next to gurgled and soothed. Over-heated engine, nearly two hours on the side of the road waiting to get it fixed, my husband dropping the camper hook-up on his toe, the camper nearly rolling into the woods (with me in it), and three trips "out" to buy supplies we didn't know we would need...not exactly a stellar beginning for the trip that had been meticulously planned. My eyes adjusted to the scraps of light provided by moonbeams seeking out spots and spaces beneath the dense mountain foliage of Spring. I found it impossible to be deterred from my enthusiasm regarding this trip. We were alive, safe and together, soon to be celebrating other family milestones surrounded by people we love. No matter what else went "wrong", everything felt precisely "right".

Life is going to throw roadblocks in the way. That is as certain as the acclaimed "death and taxes". I have absolutely zero control over what's going to come down the pike, be it joy or headache, smooth sailing or hurricane winds. What I can control is what I do about it and how I allow, or not, circumstances I cannot control to get me all wrapped around the axle. Those moonbeams reminded me of something my core already knows...if you can be just a little patient (...no easy task for me), the light will always find a way through darkness. Always! My last thought before falling asleep was, "Well, this didn't go as planned....but that's OK."  On Sunday, when the trip came to an end, I brought home with me various treasures both purchased and experienced. I also returned with my attitude firmly in check, my heart happy, and more blessings than I can count!