Yesterday I attended an all-day training session on helping clients to get “unstuck,” presented by Bill O’Hanlon. Immediately following this seminar, I attended a fundraiser which was raising money for the Special Olympics. Hearing the amazing stories and accomplishments of these athletes was inspiring! I didn’t get home until after midnight and, given the full day, went straight to bed. Since the day was packed, I did not fit in my daily meditation. I was definitely feeling its absence.
Water and Chaos
Today my husband and I woke up to water in our basement. Our sump pump failed and the pit backed up, ejecting water into the entire basement. Our carpet, trim and some boxes were ruined. We already had a whole agenda mapped out for today. I was looking forward to going to work and then browsing a couple stores for some Halloween decorations. All of that changed when I stepped into sopping wet carpet. The joys of home-ownership.
I am not gonna lie, I was pretty upset. I got really wrapped up in how I was feeling. A movie played in my head of the series of unfortunate events that had happened to my husband and me this year. I just couldn’t believe that this was one more thing to add to the list.
My wallowing didn’t last long, though. Anyone who has ever gotten water in their home knows that you have to spring into action to prevent any further damage. My husband and I called our most knowledgeable resources (our dads) to enlist their help. Then, we began relocating boxes to dry areas.
We made some other phone calls, too (insurance company, plumber, etc.). In the midst of the chaos, I paused for a moment and looked at my husband. I couldn’t help but smile at the strength of our relationship and our ability to work together effectively and respectfully during stressful times. I have never had a relationship like this one. Gratitude for my marriage needs to be present and practiced all the time, not just during unfortunate events.
Gratitude in the Now
Despite the chaos of today, I DID make time for my meditation. Turns out, today’s meditation was about “being in the now,” which was absolutely fitting!
Taking a moment to pause and look around at the basement, I allowed myself to be fully present here too. Although there was water damage, I was grateful that it was only inches of water instead of feet. I reflected on the natural disasters and other tragedies in the world this year. Our situation could have been worse. We have a lot to be thankful for.