Five Hours of Gratitude
Sometimes you find yourself in a jam. A total pickle. Well, this weekend I found myself screwed blued and tattooed (as my dad would say). I'd been so looking forward to a weekend away with both of my sisters-in-law and a bunch of their girlfriends. We'd been planning for months to cross the border into Buffalo and shop like zombies at 3am to score Black Friday deals. We shopped for about 33 straight hours. We shopped until every inch of our bodies ached and begged us for rest. We shopped until we couldn't stand our own griminess another minute and just had to go back to the hotel to shower. We were shopping machines. After unloading the van, I stood among bags and bags and bags of stuff and thought "Gee...wonder why people complain that we're losing the spirit of Christmas in all our stuff". I silently vowed to buy some toys and clothes to give to local charities to ease some of the guilt I'd be carrying home with all my shopping bags.
After an amazing weekend with some incredibly smart, funny and generous women, my sister-in-law and I headed for the border in my car. We decided to stop at Duty-Free, on the American side, to pick up a bottle of Bailey's each. I could've sworn I had my car keys in my hand at the cash register but set them down to show the cashier something on the price tag. We paid for our booze and were ready to hit the road, when I put my hand in my purse and felt my stomach hit my throat. My keys were gone. Gone. GONE-ZO. We went back to the cashier, they weren't there. We searched the Bailey's display, no good. I tore the store apart like a crazy woman, looking under each display on my hands and knees while my sister-in-law checked the bathrooms. No luck. We convinced ourselves that they MUST be locked in my car (they weren't anywhere else!) and we called CAA to come and pop my car open for us. I've never been so happy to see a AAA truck in my life-I could've kissed the guy who jimmied my door open! I eagerly dug around my console...only to find that my keys weren't there. Cue the sobbing. Cue the ugly cry. The 'I-don't care who's looking' cry. We'd already been stuck in the parking lot for 2 and a half hours and we were no closer to getting home. I missed my kids and suddenly felt certain that they needed me and were in dire straits without me.
Now, here's where the gratitude comes in rather unexpectedly. I'm thankful that my sister-in-law didn't tear my head off for losing my keys and stranding her too. She was the picture of support, warmth and optimism. I'm thankful to the AAA guy who gave me a sympathetic smile and best wishes when I sobbed loudly "I'm trapped in America!!!!!". I'm thankful for the 2 women from Hamilton who offered to drive us to my house, who sat with me while my sister-in-law searched the parking lot and I cried. I'm thankful to Doug, the guy who works at Duty Free. He didn't bat an eyelash when I sheepishly asked him if there was anywhere I could plug in an electric breast pump. He found me a discreet spot in the manager's office, got himself a flashlight and joined in the search for my keys. I'm thankful to my husband who, when I called him, never got pissy with me but instead said "Ok, what can I do?" I'm thankful to my friends who, despite the fact that they were having a party at their house, took my boys for the evening. Tim drove a spare key to his Uncle, who lives in Niagara Falls. Tim couldn't cross the border because his passport has expired, but his Uncle could...and he did. I'm so grateful to him for his help.
During my 5 hour stay at the Duty Free shop, I discovered that the world is full of kind people; ready and willing to help out a stranger. And THAT, my friends, is the true spirit of Christmas, eh? Life is sweet.
After an amazing weekend with some incredibly smart, funny and generous women, my sister-in-law and I headed for the border in my car. We decided to stop at Duty-Free, on the American side, to pick up a bottle of Bailey's each. I could've sworn I had my car keys in my hand at the cash register but set them down to show the cashier something on the price tag. We paid for our booze and were ready to hit the road, when I put my hand in my purse and felt my stomach hit my throat. My keys were gone. Gone. GONE-ZO. We went back to the cashier, they weren't there. We searched the Bailey's display, no good. I tore the store apart like a crazy woman, looking under each display on my hands and knees while my sister-in-law checked the bathrooms. No luck. We convinced ourselves that they MUST be locked in my car (they weren't anywhere else!) and we called CAA to come and pop my car open for us. I've never been so happy to see a AAA truck in my life-I could've kissed the guy who jimmied my door open! I eagerly dug around my console...only to find that my keys weren't there. Cue the sobbing. Cue the ugly cry. The 'I-don't care who's looking' cry. We'd already been stuck in the parking lot for 2 and a half hours and we were no closer to getting home. I missed my kids and suddenly felt certain that they needed me and were in dire straits without me.
Now, here's where the gratitude comes in rather unexpectedly. I'm thankful that my sister-in-law didn't tear my head off for losing my keys and stranding her too. She was the picture of support, warmth and optimism. I'm thankful to the AAA guy who gave me a sympathetic smile and best wishes when I sobbed loudly "I'm trapped in America!!!!!". I'm thankful for the 2 women from Hamilton who offered to drive us to my house, who sat with me while my sister-in-law searched the parking lot and I cried. I'm thankful to Doug, the guy who works at Duty Free. He didn't bat an eyelash when I sheepishly asked him if there was anywhere I could plug in an electric breast pump. He found me a discreet spot in the manager's office, got himself a flashlight and joined in the search for my keys. I'm thankful to my husband who, when I called him, never got pissy with me but instead said "Ok, what can I do?" I'm thankful to my friends who, despite the fact that they were having a party at their house, took my boys for the evening. Tim drove a spare key to his Uncle, who lives in Niagara Falls. Tim couldn't cross the border because his passport has expired, but his Uncle could...and he did. I'm so grateful to him for his help.
During my 5 hour stay at the Duty Free shop, I discovered that the world is full of kind people; ready and willing to help out a stranger. And THAT, my friends, is the true spirit of Christmas, eh? Life is sweet.
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