Thursday, April 21, 2011

Glass Half Full or Half Empty?

Story of my Tuesday version #1

Tuesday sucked. I was greeted first thing in the morning by a call from my husband (while trying to get everyone out the door already running late before 8am) saying that something was wrong with his brakes and he may have to have his car towed. He suggests that I take my car in to be checked (after I drive the carpool, go to a meeting and of course with my 5yr old) as it has been making the same noise as his and he would just feel better if I checked it out. As I am sitting at the tire and brake center (for what ended up being just over 4 hours) my husband confirms that the repairs on his car came to just over $800 and I tell him that mine will be almost exactly the same. Ladies and gentlemen, we now have a $2,000 dollar day. Tuesday sucked.

Story of my Tuesday version #2

Tuesday was miracle day. I was greeted by my husbands voice first thing in the morning assuring me that he was alright but that his breaks went out. During his 45 min. drive to work over winding and hilly back roads, through stop signs on more than one highway and stop lights through town. His brakes even worked as he slowed to enter the parking lot at work. As he stepped lightly to pull into his spot the peddle went to the floor and he bumped into the little cement blocker. He was on time to work and completely safe. Later when they towed his car they found the brake pad and parts on the ground under the car severed in half. The older gentlemen who worked on his car said that he had never seen one broken so completely. Our cars had been making the same noise and so I took mine in to be checked. Along the way I drove my own children and four others to school over those same winding and hilly back roads and highway stops. The man at the tire store made me come look at my brakes when they pulled them off. He looked at me and said "Honey, there is no doubt in my mind that tomorrow you would have stepped on the brakes and the peddle would have gone to the floor and your emergency brake was already gone". I did not yet know what had happened to Ben's car. The next day I would have again been driving with all those children in mine. Unlike Ben, there would not have been a single safe stop or area for me to lose my brakes... not one. There would have been no amount of money that I would not have paid to avoid a call saying something had happened to Ben or that Ben would not have paid to avoid a call about me and the kids. Tuesday was miracle day.

Glass half full or half empty?... have you met me?!
My Cup Runneth Over

5 comments:

Christian Elaine said...

wow, what perspective! glad everyone is OK!

Unknown said...

What a beautiful reminder to look at life from a larger perspective!! Thank you, Amy!!

Unknown said...

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Laida said...

this is pretty amazing!

Heidi E D said...

Your post actually made me cry a little. Wow, first that I totally agree that Tuesday sucked, and Wow second, that you so perfectly expressed your gratefulness through version 2! It's so rare to listen to someone who sees with such clarity and understands how something "bad" can be BOTH "bad" and "good" at the same time. Thanks for the sweet catharsis!