Touching Scenes from Every Day Life

Guess where I am posting from right now? Okay, stop guessing already because you never will! I am in Portland staying the night in a swankified (in other words "cheapest one we could find") hotel. To be honest, it was kind of a long day, but it was strangely not that bad. I only cried once, and it wasn't even because of the long miserable sequence of events that transpired (don't worry, I'll tell the details, but I got to build up to it!). Actually, a few minutes ago I was wondering why it wasn't that bad and then I realized it wasn't because my somewhat moody disposition had become suddenly unconquerably optimistic, it was because of Lucy. She was the most optimistic 15 month old there ever was today! She was sooooooo good I can't even explain it! Sure she had her fidgety moments like when she wouldn't stop kicking the seat in front of us on the airplane (sorry to the guy sitting in front of us whoever you are. I tried!), but she was mostly all giggles and sweetness. For waking up at 5:00 a.m. and only taking one 45 minute nap in my arms the entire day, she was the happiest kid you could ever imagine all day. She was stealing glances and sweet smiles from over half the people in the airport because she was running around and skipping and then would get this little bashful look on her face and say, "hi." She kept me smiling all day. One kind man complimented me on my Mom skills (basically he just said he had been watching me and Lucy and could tell I was a good mother and I totally let it get to my head!) and I couldn't fully explain to him that I wasn't always this composed during trying times, and I sometimes get quite frustrated when chasing my little angel around, but Lucy was being as good as she possibly could.

So enough build up already, I will give you the story now that you are completely sucked in! We were supposed to leave for Spokane from San Diego this morning at 6:45 a.m. We barely missed our flight. We weren't that late, but the check in line was unbelievably long. It wound around the entire airport! Too long for my "cut it close" style and so now I guess we will have to go overly early for the rest of our lives, like Dave always wanted to do in the first place. We ended up hanging for a while and then flying standby to Portland, where we tried to fly standby to Spokane, but all the flights were cancelled due to the most humongous storm ever! To make a long story short (and those of you who have kids totally know this really was the short story... 10 hours in an airport or on an airplane with kids is just, well, a long story) hopefully we will be in Spokane sooner than later!

In the midst of my airport wanderings I witnessed a very touching scene that, as I mentioned earlier, brought me to tears. I don't know if it will have the same affect on you, but I thought it was worth sharing with all of you. While in line at the women's restroom, the lady ahead of me exclaimed under her breath to me "Is that a man in the women's restroom? He shouldn't be in here." I looked up to find that her statement was true, but it was completely different than what I expected to find. A sweet, feeble old man was helping his very disabled wife from her wheelchair into the handicapped stall. I responded to the women in line "Oh, well it looks like he is helping someone, so I am sure it's okay." She rudely answered "I don't think he should be doing that. I am sure they could have found someone to assist her. That is just wrong." I stumbled over my words and never really answered her, which is my common response when I feel strongly about something that involves my emotions. I wanted to say something to her, whether it be "Hey lady, lay off" or " well I hope my husband would care enough about me and not what other people think, to do the same thing for me someday." I wouldn't want to ask random airport people to help me go to the bathroom. He was old and feeble and rested in her wheelchair while she used the restroom. What a touching scene. I know some people might think it was wrong like the lady I talked to, but I felt like it was very chivalrous to put your wife above all else. I came out of the bathroom in tears thinking about how sweet that man was. I wanted to say something to him, to compliment him somehow, but that would have been kind of awkward. I was crying because of his sweetness, but also because of how judgmental some people can be. I just didn't understand how anyone could accuse such an act of kindness (that is a little hypocritical... I am judging someone for being judgmental, ha ha). I laughed at myself as tears gushed down my cheeks while trying to explain to Dave that I was crying because there was a Man in the Restroom. Anyway, I guess the moral is that it is all in your perspective. Everyday occurrences can be beautiful eye opening experiences and long airport journey's can be somewhat enjoyable. All we really have is the moment we are living, so why waste it being miserable when things don't go as planned or criticizing people for things that really don't matter or affect us at all? There is beauty all around... in the faces we see every morning and those we only see for one fleeting moment our entire life. There is a story behind every face you meet and rest assured that if you knew that story you would love them, so why not love them anyway?

I am in no way saying I am perfect or have this down (as I just mentioned, come on I judge people for judging for crying out loud!), but for today at least, this is the message ringing in my heart. Let us Love one Another this Christmas season as our gift to humankind in honor of Christ's birth. As we are so often asked the question at Christmas time "What do you want for Christmas?" let us Love one Another, which is surely how Christ would respond to this timeless question.