January 23: Traveling Woes

Traveling is both fun and frustrating many times.  Tonight I got a call from my sister and somewhere during her travels from Pdx to Houston to Dallas she lost her purse.  She had retraced her steps, gone to security, and her purse was nowhere to be found.  Needless to say, she was in a bit of a panic and rightly so.  How do you get to your hotel without money or a credit card?  You can't rent the car you have on hold, you can't check into the hotel you have on reserve.  You can't do much of anything except panic and pray.  However awful this situation was, she was safe, and it did happen in a city where thankfully I know quite a few people.  I sent a text message to Kalie, Gretchen, and Allison, three former students who live in the Dallas area and asked if my sister could stay with them for the night.  I figured CJ and I could figure out something, but she needed to not be sleeping in the airport.  

All three of them volunteered.  Yes, all three.  I teared up reading the group text messages back and forth about their availability and willingness to help out my sister.  Gretchen seemed to have the best set of circumstances as her roommate was out of the country and had a spare car.  Blessing after blessing.  My sister was able to borrow Gretchen's car to get to work the next morning.  Moreover, I was able to electronically transfer money to Gretchen that she gave to my sister.  Gretchen fed my sister, took her out with her friends, and provided a place of rest and peace during this crazy stressful time.  I am so grateful for each of these women and their willingness to help my sister.  

November 5: The Ugly Cry

Yesterday I had a couple good cries.  The first was after I got off Skype.  The second came hours later when a pizza I ordered had yet to be delivered.  After following up, they said they were slammed and that mine was next to be made.  What?! It shouldn't take 2.5 hours to make & deliver a pizza.  Again, I cried; and it was the ugly cry.  The kind where your face is blotchy, your nose runs, your eyes puff, and you sob almost uncontrollably.  Yep, that kind of cry.  Clearly my anger and hurt were only partly misdirected at the pizza people.

Fast forward to today.  It was again one of those days where I felt like I could ugly cry at about anything.  Target didn't have my hair gel (almost ugly cried).  In the women's bathroom (felt the tears coming).  Trader Joe's is out of pumpkin stuff (now, that is seriously reason to cry).  

Anyway, when I left work, I realized the reason why the great parking spot was still available.  Apparently, the tree poops.  My car was covered in tree dropping.  If you look close, you may even be able to see leaves and branches.  Again, it could have spurred an ugly cry, instead I just laughed. 

On the way home from grocery shopping, I popped into Kohls just to browse.  While in the dressing room, I heard a woman ask a stranger what she thought of the dress she was wearing.  The woman proceeded to tell the stranger that she was looking for a dress to wear to her mothers funeral.  

My heart broke...and I cried.  I felt for this woman both because her mother had passed away and because she didn't have anyone to go shopping with her for a dress for the service.  In that moment, I also got hit with a 2x4 of perspective.  Yes, I feel like I could ugly cry at any moment because I'm angry and hurt.  And yes, it's okay to feel these emotions.  And in the same breath, there are others in a lot more pain and hurt.