Putting Things in Perspective

I was driving home from the hospital with my son, merrily singing along with the radio, when I hit a pothole and chaos developed. Getting out of the car to see what had happened I saw we had suffered two flat tires and damaged beyond repair hubcaps. Somehow we managed to limp to a garage (and what horrific noise driving on those flats made), called AAA, and waited. Fortunately the tow truck arrived in a relatively short space of time, towed us to another garage that sold tires and rims, but were told we'd have to order new hubcaps from a dealer.

I had been looking forward to taking my son out for a celebratory luncheon and now this--not only the time spent buying new tires and getting them installed, but being told replacing the hubcaps would cost hundreds of dollars more. Well, I was fit to be tied, to put it mildly. After the horrendous winter we've had I realize the roads are in terrible shape, but why don't the towns get on the ball and repair them? What do we pay taxes for? I was fuming!

Then my son calmly said, "Well, look at it this way, Mom--at least we were going home from the hospital, not driving to it," and that stopped me dead in my tracks. For only three weeks before I had taken my son in for major cancer surgery. Filled with dread that day, I didn't know what to expect, but the operation was successful and the surgeons said they were sure they got it all. I remembered how my eyes filled with tears of gratitude at those words and how I humbly thanked God. So what was this mishap with the pothole but a minor distraction really? Annoying sure, expensive unfortunately, but also my moment of truth. It helped me put things in perspective as I realized nothing was more important that my son's health and well-being.