Never a dull moment
Life is full of surprises, and I have had many this past week. Surprises come in many shapes and forms – happy, sad, exciting, and grand. This week has been a whirlwind, and it's often felt like one thing after another has gone wrong. But, as Zig Ziglar once said, “Happiness is the ability to move forward knowing the future will be better than the past.” Even though my first week of the year started with many unexpected events, I still have high hopes for the year.
The beginning of the week started as it typically does with work deadlines and getting the newspaper to press. All was going according to plan, but as I was heading to my car to leave work, I noticed my back tire was flat as a pancake. It was already after 5 p.m., and I knew it would be almost impossible to find someone to fix it. So I locked up my car and walked home. Thankfully I don't live too far away.
The following morning I woke up with the worst headache. I hardly have headaches, but my headache was so bad it actually woke me up that morning. I knew I had a full schedule ahead with work tasks, and I also had a hair salon appointment scheduled, too. So, I took some cold medicine, and it brought some relief. My morning was looking up until I remembered I had to walk to work! Thankfully, I was blessed with a beautiful morning and enjoyed the walk. It was probably good for me to get some fresh air anyway. After getting into the groove at work, I was starting to see the upside to my recent misfortunes. That was until the Tire Center called to inform me that my tire had a bigger issue than I realized. The object that flattened my tire was lodged into the side of it, which meant I would have to buy a brand-new tire. I felt like I was having such bad luck, but I also knew that sitting in my self-pity for too long would get me nowhere. It helped me to count my blessings. If I hadn't noticed my tire was flat, it would have been even worse if I had driven on it.
As the work day continued smoothly, I started to gather my things together to leave for my hair appointment. As soon as I got my hopes up for a better turn in my day, I received a call from my hairdresser. He was calling to reschedule because he had an emergency and was in the emergency room! Although I was disappointed about canceling my appointment that day, I was thankful my hairdresser was doing well and realized things could be much worse. I just eased through the rest of the day, counting my blessings when I could, and went to bed, hoping the next day wouldn't bring any more extraordinary surprises.
The weekend started great. I went to the Marshall Academy basketball game against Lee Academy. I enjoy watching basketball and love taking photos of the games even more. The game was neck and neck. At half-time, the score was Lee Academy 23 and Marshall 21. The Patriots scored 19 points to Lee Academy's six in the third quarter. From that point on, the Patriots did not let the Colts gain any momentum. The Patriots took the win with a final score of 54-46. After a week of ups and downs, I was glad to see a positive win for Marshall Academy.
The Tire Center replaced my plugged tire with a new one on Saturday morning as I did some work at the office. At lunch, I went to Coffee at Holly in downtown Holly Springs and enjoyed a delicious ham and cheese sandwich with a hot chai vanilla tea. The owner's Marc and Marie, are so welcoming and enjoyable to be around. The Coffee Shop is one of my favorite places to take a break. It feels like a nice escape from the work rush and is definitely a feel-good spot. Since moving to Holly Springs, Coffee at Holly is one of my favorite places to frequent because it's an excellent place to meet new people in town.
After two good days, Sunday afternoon came down like a hammer. Before I tell the story, I want to let everyone know that I am a true blonde, and over the years, some of the harmless blonde jokes I've heard have come to fruition. I planned to go into the office Sunday afternoon to get ahead on some of my work. I get distracted pretty easily, and I'm an overall clumsy, so when I walked out of my house that Sunday, I accidentally locked myself out! I immediately looked on trusty Google to find a locksmith. I called every locksmith I could find, to no avail. They either did not answer or did not work in this area. I then called my friend Sue Watson, and she hooked me up with a local locksmith, but the door knobs were so old that it was impossible to get into my house.
Sue let me stay over at her house Sunday night, and luckily I received a call back from one of the local locksmiths the next morning. They came that afternoon and got into the house. I changed the doorknobs with new ones I had bought from Booker Hardware. I am thankful for all the help I received and the new friends I have made.
I say all of this to make this statement. Even though some days aren't as good as others, I'm thankful for everything and look for the little blessings. There is always a silver lining.
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.;
“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Phillippians 4:19 ESV (English Standard Version).