Silver Linings

I am a half-empty person my nature.  I have to work really hard to see the glass full.  Making lemonade out of lemons is a skill set that I have worked hard to gain.

So when Marie had her bus incident and we couldn’t find her, I wasn’t even looking for a silver lining because it took all my energy to stay calm.  Even after she was delivered safely back home and I had a chance to wrap my arms around her as I inhaled her sweet scent, I was just thankful she was home.  I couldn’t even fathom a lesson from all of that chaos.

It wasn’t until we sat down to dinner and had a debriefing on the situation that a silver lining had appeared.

Harrington: How did you know you were on the wrong bus?

Marie: When there were only a few people left on the bus, I asked the bus driver when was the last stop.  When she said the next stop was the last one and it was at KinderCare, I knew I was the wrong bus.

Me: What did you tell her?

Marie: I think I’m on the wrong bus.  So I gave her my address.

Me: How did you know to do that?

Me: If I didn’t say anything, how was I going to get home?

I honestly could not have hoped for a better answer.

She spoke up when something was not right.

She did not panic and freeze.

She stayed calm and gave the necessary information to get herself out of the situation.

It is kind of like what Eleanor Roosevelt said:

It brings me great peace that she had the confidence and courage to take care of herself without me right there. 

After she was tucked safely into bed and the house was quiet, I was able to process the whole scene again.  I remember how the moms at the bus stop, most of them that I had just met that very day, stayed with me until I knew the bus driver was trying to find Marie.

A mom I knew before offered to take Thomas, but when he would only girls to play with, another mom offered to take him back to her house to play Legos with her son.

Another mom came by to make sure I was OK and even gave me a hug as I waited anxiously on the sidewalk for the bus to arrive.

The friend that I made earlier in the summer listened to me vent how scared I was.

Deciding to move is a total leap of faith.  Are the neighbors nice?  Will there be kids for my kids to play with?  Since I decided it would be off-putting to interview neighbors in a neighborhood we could potentially move into, the answers really only reveal themselves in time.

My heart is filled with gratitude when I think how these moms stepped in to help a perfect stranger.

And I am thankful for the silver linings. 

Do you have to work hard in finding silver linings?  When was a time you were able to find one in a scary situation?

A Week of Firsts

This week was a week of firsts.  And let me tell you, it has been a flurry of activity.  So , today’s post will be brought to you by Instagram and this awesome new app I am obsessed with called Heyku. 

Marie’s first day of 2^nd grade:

I drove her to school per her request.  I stood in line with her.  Until she didn’t want me to stand next to her.  Until she changed her mind and slipped her hand into mine and whispered in my ear that she was a little nervous.  I would be lying if few tears didn’t well up in my eyes as I left the school parking lot.

The next day she took the bus.  Her first time on a new bus was successful!  I was inspired to write this Heyku:

All was well, until it wasn’t.  Here is my Facebook status that was inspired by the first time Marie got on the wrong bus and the school had a difficult time finding her:

I learned a few important lessons that day. But that is a different blog post.

Because I chose not to freak out and quietly implode after she was delivered home safely, I wrote this Hayku after everyone was safe in bed:

If you have been reading my blog or following me on Twitter or Facebook, you know I’ve been busy putting together a new course on social media. Today was the first day of class.  I had a hard time sleeping since I was nervous so I decided to express myself in a HeyKu.  Naturally.

Here I am on the morning of the first day of class.  

Thanks to the great filters and industrial strength makeup,
you don't see the circles and chin acne that sprouted overnight.

   I actually put on real clothes and drove on the big, scary expressway during rush hour traffic to a building I’ve never been to in a city I don’t know very well.  Oh, and the class went very well, too.

Someone else had a big day today, too. 

Thomas went to his first day of PreK 4.  He rocked the first drop off – like a boss.  He sat right down on the carpet and didn’t look back.  

Of course this could all change next week, but I am thankful that at least the first day went well.  It made it easier for me to enjoy my cup of coffee.  In silence.  Doing whatever I want.  Especially eating a cookie the size of my face without having to share.

How was your first week back to school?  Happy?  Sad?  Mixed emotions?