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Last summer my husband and I packed our two kids into the car and drove down to Arkansas to spend a few days rambling about a part of the country we had never been to before. The drive down took us about 6 hours. Though we stocked the car with toys and even set up portable DVD players (technology!), we still found the need to make several stops along the way to let the kids stretch their legs and burn energy.
We were attempting to return to the highway after one such stop in Tulsa. Navigation was a bit tricky because of construction, but it was a Saturday and a there was little other traffic. We knew we would make it out just fine eventually. We came to a stoplight and across the intersection was a row of white and orange barriers. There was scaffolding with cameramen perched on top and folks lined the sides of the street.
Suddenly a colorful herd of cyclists came into view. They whipped around the corner right in front of us. Zip, zip, zip, zip, zip — the energy the were expelling seemed to permeate the air. I felt the hair on my arms stand up, my heart rise in my throat and a smile bloom on my face. How thrilling!
The light turned green. We made a left-hand turn and found our way onto the highway.
I have found myself on a lot of detours lately. I'm experiencing things I hadn't expected. Some of this is very challenging, even painful. Some of it is so surprisingly beautiful.
If I was more of a mathematical thinker, I might categorize and separate my experiences. Then they could be placed on opposing ends of a scale to see if the good outweighs the bad. That's not really how I've experienced life lately, though.
The other morning, I was at the home of a couple I have known a long time. The woman's health is in decline. She is confused, frustrated and in pain. That day, I watched her husband talk her through testing her blood sugar. She has probably done this task a thousand time by herself. Somewhere along the way, her husband must have recognized that it was time for him to learn how it was done. He was calm, patient and certain. In the midst of what is otherwise a challenging time for her, there it was — a moment of grace, like a bright athlete zipping by.
We were attempting to return to the highway after one such stop in Tulsa. Navigation was a bit tricky because of construction, but it was a Saturday and a there was little other traffic. We knew we would make it out just fine eventually. We came to a stoplight and across the intersection was a row of white and orange barriers. There was scaffolding with cameramen perched on top and folks lined the sides of the street.
Suddenly a colorful herd of cyclists came into view. They whipped around the corner right in front of us. Zip, zip, zip, zip, zip — the energy the were expelling seemed to permeate the air. I felt the hair on my arms stand up, my heart rise in my throat and a smile bloom on my face. How thrilling!
The light turned green. We made a left-hand turn and found our way onto the highway.
I have found myself on a lot of detours lately. I'm experiencing things I hadn't expected. Some of this is very challenging, even painful. Some of it is so surprisingly beautiful.
If I was more of a mathematical thinker, I might categorize and separate my experiences. Then they could be placed on opposing ends of a scale to see if the good outweighs the bad. That's not really how I've experienced life lately, though.
The other morning, I was at the home of a couple I have known a long time. The woman's health is in decline. She is confused, frustrated and in pain. That day, I watched her husband talk her through testing her blood sugar. She has probably done this task a thousand time by herself. Somewhere along the way, her husband must have recognized that it was time for him to learn how it was done. He was calm, patient and certain. In the midst of what is otherwise a challenging time for her, there it was — a moment of grace, like a bright athlete zipping by.
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