When Life Gives you Lemons

"I'll just take this down the stairs and she'll try on the dress for you." the saleslady said. I stood at the top of the stairs and watched as another lady came out in the bright pink dress. It was beautiful. I liked the little jacket they had put with it, equally bright and pink.

"Mom, mommy" Lucas woke me from my sleep. I lay face down on my pillow trying to come into reality.

The morning routines were soon underway. Dressed, lunches packed, breakfast eaten and off to take Lucas to school. We made it through the traffic dropped him off and returned home. We had 40 minutes until we would be in the car again, this time dropping Alex off at preschool.

It gave me just enough time to look up the addresses for the new thrift stores I wanted to check out- I was on the quest for a great ribbed shirt that I could use to cover a pillow, thank you Pintrest. I texted a friend to see if she wanted to join me, unfortunately she was helping in her daughter's classroom.

8:40 quickly rolled around. "Time to go", I told Alex gathering up the diaper bag and Ryder. I got everyone buckled and went around to the driver side, sat down buckled up and nothing.... the car would not start.

I turned it over again. Nothing, a few lights came on then quickly went off. What in the world?? The lights were not left on, we had just driven 40 minutes earlier.

I called my husband in panic. I told him the trouble and then let him go so I could try and find a ride for Alex to preschool.

I called my friend who's daughter was in Alex's preschool class. She was running late so I just managed to catch her at home.

I wasn't sure what to do. I hopped on FB putting out a plea if anyone local could help me out, I also tweeted about my trouble- hey what else could I do. The thought came to me to text my visiting teacher (like home teachers that I talked about yesterday- just women visiting just the women). I texted her and no reply.

I talked with Eric again, saying I wasn't sure what to do. My friend could bring Alex home but then I guess we would have to walk the 20 minutes to pick Lucas up from school--not a pleasant thought since the high was breaching 100. I got off the phone with Eric and then the tears began. I felt trapped.

It will be okay, I assured myself.

Suddenly the doorbell rang. Oh if this is even a solicitor I am not going to be happy- I muttered as I headed to the door. Really this is not a good time. I might just even tell them off. I looked out the peep hole. It was my visiting teacher along with another friend, jumper cables in hand.

They pushed my car down our driveway into the culdesac so we could hook up the jumper cables and just a few minutes later it was running. Ryder and I went straight to Autozone where we found out a cell had died in our battery. A little bit of time and $120 later and we were all set with a new battery.

As the morning continued, I began contemplating what had happened. My friend who took Alex to school told me when I called she had been heading out the door and heard the phone ring but thought, I am late I don't need to get that-- but then something stopped her and she felt like she should. And my visiting teacher had just been dropping her daughter off at her preschool and had a whole list of things to do and was about to leave when my text came through-the friend who came with who knew how to jump the car happened to be right there dropping her daughter off too-- and that preschool is at a house in my subdivision-pretty much across the street from my house. The car had worked to get Lucas to school and I hadn't made it to the thrift stores 20 minutes away only for it to die in the parking lot there.

I truly do believe and know that we are looked after and in the times of trials and challenges, no matter how simple as this one- or those big life altering events, there are tender mercies, there are those small blessings. There is that glass of lemonade we sometimes just have to look for it.