*Positivity *Spirituality *Support - Gratitude for the Imperfect

22/2/22 was quite a day! I had been looking forward to it as it was the pinnacle of a powerful healing portal. A few days prior I had found a sound healing meditation in Tamarama (one of the city beaches in Sydney). In the leadup I was very excited about the meditation.

On the morning of 22/2 I opened an eye with my mobile ringing. It was 6.30am and a friend from the next Bay was asking me to take her kids to school as there had been a snap train strike the previous day which was still causing issues.

At 8am I coerced my moaning teenager to get in the car to pick up her kids. Upon arrival, one of said children had decided to play the train lottery. This left me with only one additional child to transport.

All in the car, plenty of time, all was good. Off we drove.

As we progressed on our journey the rain, and some hail, got heavier and heavier, to the point I had to pull over a few times. We drove down the highway and the car was one quarter submerged for a while. I was getting anxious. You don’t drive in flood water, I know this, but once I realised how deep it was I had to keep driving or I’m sure the exhaust would have flooded. We got to the school, the kids each only had 10 metres to run to be under cover. It took me 25 minutes to let them out of the car, at their respective schools, because of the torrential rain. After the drop-off I drove back the way I had come.

Alas, the flooding had become worse. I was turned around before reaching the highway. As I turned, partly in flood water again, I hit something with the front of my car. Probably a big rock on the side of the road or something. I didn’t think much of it but kept driving.

Now I didn’t quite know where to go. Directions arn’t really my thing. If I was born a bird I would have flown around in circles I’m sure. I phoned Jason and told him the situation. Jason gave me pointers on where to drive.

Second roundabout to the right. Off I headed, towards a different part of the highway, alas further away from home. As I reached the highway I could see the traffic travelling towards my home was at a standstill. I didn’t know how long it would be flooded so decided to head towards the shopping centre. I needed a few items of clothing anyway.

Shortly before I arrived I noticed a grinding noise. “Shit… had my running into the submerged rock caused a flat tyre”? It was still raining. I pulled over and jumped out…. Not a flat but something was hanging out of my front bumper and rubbing on the passenger side tyre. There was a man looking at me from a shop. He came out and poked it back in.

I felt gratitude for his help and thanked him.

I proceeded to the shopping centre. It was only 1/2 a kilometre away but I noticed the grinding noise was back. I drove into the parking area and luckily there was a tyre place right ahead. I drove in and mentioned my issue. They kindly took my car and put it up on the hoist and fixed the issue in a few minutes. I offered to pay but my offer was declined.

Gratitude for their help and generosity!

Into the shops I went and did some clothes shopping after a few hours I sat down and had something to eat and looked at the local news regarding the flooding. People had been stuck on the highway for 2 hours now.

Gratitude that I did not get stuck in traffic and that I could get some items of clothing that I needed.

I started posting on a local Facebook group about how to get from Erina to Woy Woy. There were some posts suggesting I would be an idiot if I went out, to which I replied something to the effect of “the out part has already been achieved, its the home part that is an issue”. Eventually some helpful locals directed me to an unflooded back way home.

I got home at 11.55am, just in time for a 1.5 hour online course that I had booked in for.

Gratitude for helpful locals and Gratitude for getting me home in time for the course.

I finished the course, checked my emails and got ready for the sound meditation session at Tamarama. The trip there would normally take me 1.5 hours but, considering the state of the roads, I thought I better allow plenty of time. I am nothing if not organised! I left at 3pm for a start at 6pm.

Surprisingly the trip was pretty good and did only take me 1.5 hours. I found a park straight away. The weather was still dubious. I had thought I could pop into a client Craig’s house, who was 25 minutes away, but decided I was better off just watching the Netflix movie in my car. I had the phone plugged into the charger and was enjoying the film. Shortly after starting the movie it was getting a bit stuffy in the car. As the rain had nearly stopped I decided to open the window. I clicked the key once to the right and wound down the window. I proceeded to watch the rest of the movie.

Doors open to the meditation at 5.50pm. At 5.40pm I noticed something odd. All the lights had gone off on my dash. I instantly had a sinking feeling as I turned the key on my car to start the ignition…. absolutely nothing…. I had drained the bloody battery. I tried the button to wind up the window… nadah… It had also started to rain again. I had 20 minutes till the meditation started and had a car with its window 100% open as it was about to rain again. My mind went into quick resolution mode. I looked around the street and spotted two people chatting under umbrella’s. I walked over and told them my sad tale and asked them if they had any cling wrap. They looked a little perplexed until I advised that I intended to cling wrap my window up to try and stop most of the rain entering. The younger lady sprang into action and raced inside to gather cling wrap and gaffa tape. We then proceeded to do our best to make the window rain proof (picture below). Even after all that, I was the first one at the meditation.

Gratitude that the incident happened with enough time to find a resolution and Gratitude that a lovely young lady helped me.

I sat down at the meditation and then a few of my friends arrived. We were all laughing about my predicament. I greatly enjoyed the meditation. No miraculous healing took place although I did feel my crown chakra going crazy during the session. The three of us left just before 8pm and I was already on the phone to road service. I finished the call and laughed out loud as I said to my friends “There is a four hour wait”. I noticed a text from my client, who knew I was down, asking me how the meditation went. I had offers from my friends to stay the night but I opted to go have dinner with Craig. Alas Craig didn’t have any jumper leads at that point. Craig and I had talked about potentially having dinner after the meditation, but we didn’t really think it would happen. So now I had a lovely dinner paid for by Craig, I offered but he wouldn’t accept. During the meal Craig worked out with a friend of his to loan us some jumper leads. After the meal Craig got the car going.

I had spoken with Jason but he suggested, based on my day so far, that it was better if I stayed the night. I agreed!

Gratitude for my client taking me to dinner; Gratitude for my client’s friends lending me his jumper leads to get car started; Gratitude for my other friends offering that I could stay the night. Gratitude for Craig having me as his house guest for the night and Gratitude that I have an understanding partner.

In the end the whole day was unexpected but perfect. I went to sleep with a smile on my face!

Now please don’t vomit re the above. If you think I’m always one of those people who walks around saying Gratitude for this and that, you would be mistaken! Yesterday I had a day from hell. Everything went wrong! I was so stressed. I could not think I was so stressed. I did not behave, in any way, like the jovial gratitude lady. I was more like some sort of dishevelled, sniveling, stress fiend with an eye twitch and shrill voice. Regardless of how I reacted to everything. The day finished, I got all the work done, the world did not end. I still managed to go out with my friends in the evening.

Today I analysed both situations. I saw ample opportunities for being grateful yesterday, I just did not take them. I got so wound up about things that my mind took over. I can now see how unnecessary it was.

It was a good comparison. I’m not saying I’ll always be perfect, but I know which way I want to behave when things are not going to plan. Now the trick is remembering to do it!