Boarding the flight to Maui, we got seated at the bulkhead, with extra space for our legs. The flight was full, but somehow, there was an empty seat between us. The attendants were terrific; they’d each been working for over 30 years and shared some great stories. How could we be so lucky? Oops, I spoke too soon. Landing in Maui, the baggage carousel was broken, and we were switched to go to another, taking an extra hour.
On the ride to the rental car terminal, the trolley broke down; hitting the emergency button to open the doors, we all climbed out to walk 25 minutes in the rain and 40 mph winds. Walking into the car rental counter, the lines were out the door. A guy I met in line had worked for Clark County, and we started a conversation that lasted 90 minutes, until it was finally our turn to get our cars. The crowd at Costco was nuts; the wind and rain did not make it any easier to load up the car. Driving to the West side, traffic was stop and go. When we got to the Hotel, our condo was not ready.
Gail unpacked, I went to the Jacuzzi to relax, and met a couple from Iowa, celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary. Visiting Maui for their first time, they were not happy about the weather but the wife had a great attitude. When she got out of the water, I noticed she only had one hand. But her smile and excitement for life was contagious. I went up to the room and shared the experience with Gail.
We went over our day and discussed the difficulties; but was it really that bad? We didn't want to repeat it, but counted our blessings and slept well.
Thank you for reminding me, “This Too Shall Pass and Easy Does It; that Gratitude is the answer to Self-Pity.”
With you, God and the toolkit of recovery, each day is a beautiful day!